Samurai: The Conclusions Arc My Way
by Darien Fawkes
Summary: Serrator is gone, and the final days of the war are imminent, but with Xandred, Octoroo, Dekker and Dayu still at large, and Jayden's ultimate secret finally revealed, how can the team hope to come through and win the war?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Minor spoiler, but since the episode will air tomorrow, and I'm not revealing too much (and I'm just too impatient to wait!), I am staring this story now. Hope you all enjoy my interpretation.

**Legal: **I do not own Power Rangers or the associated names, characters, places etc. Anything not covered by the above rights should be considered purely the creation of the author.

**Rating: **T- may be some adult themes and language.

The morning air was crisp, and it was clear that things were starting to get much cooler around the city. It was not going to be long before training outside would no longer be practical, so the Rangers had enjoyed it all while they could.

After training, Kevin and Mia were outside, tending to the garden, preparing the ground for winter. It wasn't like Panorama ever got especially harsh winters, but Ji seemed to be busy with other matters, and Mike and Emily had inexplicably disappeared, as they often did when there were boring chores to do, so it fell to them to prepare the ground so that when the spring came around, they would get another year of one of the most beautiful gardens any of them had seen.

Another year, that was a thought none of them wanted to really consider too much. While all of them had accepted their responsibility voluntarily, they had already been out at the Shiba House almost two whole years. Their second Christmas was a little under two months away. They had all put their lives on hold for their duty to the war effort. All of them were more than aware that the world didn't stop for them, and lives were moving on without them. Kevin had seen the closing ceremony of the Olympics on television, and knew that four years was a long time in athletics, meaning that even if they ended things soon, it would be an uphill struggle against his age to qualify in order to compete for his country as had always been his dream.

Mia had often thought about the kids at the play group. She had started working there as part of her therapy, but had ended up loving it with all her heart. She had resigned herself to the fact that most of the kids she had gotten to know, that she worked with, would already be in school. With another year, it would be a completely new set of kids she was going back to, presuming they accepted her back at all given the fact she had basically disappeared. As she prepared the soil, Kevin came across, pointing something out to her.

She looked up, noticing Ji heading out the side door. They had both noticed a change in him recently. He was spending a lot more time in his study, or on the phone talking to one of his many 'contacts', evident by the number of times he was on the phone speaking in another language. So far, they had figured out he knew at least a working level in Spanish, German, French, Italian, and was fluent in Japanese. Whenever he saw someone in the room while he was on one of these calls, he would close the door, or leave the room, a sure sign he was working on something secret, something he was deeply concerned about.

He opened the side gate, putting his phone away as a man came in. Neither of them had seen this man before, but given the fact he was dressed in oriental robes, bearing the Shiba Family Crest, they figured he had to be involved in the Samurai business. He handed Ji and envelope, giving him a respectful bow, which Ji returned. Kevin squinted to see.

"Is that...the Shiba Family crest?" He asked, gesturing to the envelope. Mia just nodded.

"It is." She confirmed, before pulling both of them back out of sight. She took a quick look around the corner, watching Ji head around to the opposite side of the house. She gestured Kevin to follow her, which he did quietly. She held up a hand to gesture to him to stop, before indicating he take up a position to see.

Jayden and Antonio were working out in the yard, taking the time for some gentle, friendly, and slightly flirty sparring. They could see by the look on Jayden's face that he was enjoying himself. It was a look that had been noticeably absent for the last few days. He had splashes of paint across his arms and face, and a few burns too, neither of which were surprising since they knew he had been focusing on perfecting the Sealing Symbol, but Antonio had obviously gotten him to leave the dojo to take a break. Whether or not sparring could really be considered resting was another matter, but knowing Jayden, there wasn't much else he genuinely enjoyed.

Ji made his way over as Jayden helped Antonio to his feet. They both saw Ji, and turned to face him, but seeing the serious expression on his face, they quickly became more serious. Ji just handed Jayden the envelope.

Mia pulled out her Samuraizer, casting a quick symbol. Kevin just looked at her curiously.

"What was that?" He asked.

"I made the air between me and them a little thinner." She explained in a voice so quiet it barely travelled to Kevin. "It'll make the sound travel further, to we'll hear them."

Kevin was about to lecture her about eavesdropping, but stopped when he saw Jayden reading the letter. His face slipped, and his muscles relaxed, almost to the point that he dropped the letter on the ground. He looked between Ji and Antonio.

"So...?"

"It's true." Jayden told them. "What Bernard said...it's true."

"So..."

"The messenger was dispatched shortly before..." Jayden's words tailed off, before looking back to them. "This is it then. The others will finally know my secret. I only hope...I only hope they can forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive." Antonio assured him. Jayden just shook his head.

"They might not see it that way." He answered, before walking back to the house. Antonio and Jayden followed him, leaving Mia and Kevin looking confused.

"What do you think he meant?" Kevin asked her. "What secret?"

"From the sound of things, we won't have long to wait to find out." Mia replied, getting up and heading inside.

Meantime, aboard the Junk, Octoroo was working hard on his new weapon. It was by far the most powerful and diabolical thing he had ever worked on, and it took every ounce of his skill and magic to ensure he didn't destroy himself, the ship, and a good portion of the surrounding area. One wrong move, and he knew what the consequences would be. He was just finishing up, closing over the metal casing and sealing it closed, smiling as he completed it.

It was a string of metal spheres, ended with one that had been engraved with a daemonic face, the largest of them. It looked unassuming enough, but the power within could be felt standing this close to it. He set it down carefully in a wooden box, lined with felt to stop it taking any undue impacts. All he could do now was wait for a response from the latest of his cohorts.

He turned around as he heard a shrieking sound, and saw a Nighlock flying into the room, landing on the deck. She had dark feathers covering her head, swept to one side, covering one of her eyes, and a lithe, though powerful looking body. Her right arm comprised a cannon, and looking at him, he could tell she was considering him carefully.

"Well, I see you responded." Octoroo stated as he checked an hour glass. "You're a little faster than I expected as it happens, I almost wasn't ready for you Fiera."

"The fastest hunter gets to eat." Fiera responded. "This reminds me, thank you for the snack."

"Well, I was wondering why my messenger hadn't come back." Octoroo answered with a shrug, unconcerned with the fate of the winged Mooger he had sent to locate her and deliver his message. If all went well, then he would happily pay the price. There were always more Moogers. "I take it he was...satisfactory?"

"I didn't come here to talk about my snack Octoroo!" She screeched. "Your message said something of a challenging hunt."

"Yes, of course it did." Octoroo answered, looking to her. "I have a great challenge for you, perhaps the greatest challenge of all. I want you to target the Red Ranger."

"The Red Ranger?" She asked. Octoroo held up a hand.

"You don't need to worry..."

"WORRY?" She cackled. "Where is he? Of course I'll..."

"Well, there's no reason for you to go out there without a little something to tip the scales." Octoroo told her. He picked up the wooden box, presenting it to her. "Here, just a little something to give that cannon of yours a little more...oomph."

She opened the box, and looked inside. Pulling out the string of metal spheres, she looked to it curiously, before looking to Octoroo.

"What is this?" She asked.

"It's a very special form of ammunition." He informed her. "They're called Fire-Flashers. It's a special project I've been working on."

"What do they do?" She asked as Octoroo took them off her, circling around her. He clipped the Fire Flashers to her right shoulder, at which she felt the energy flowing into her.

"The Red Ranger's clan carries great Fire Symbol Power." Octoroo explained. "The Fire Flashers are filled with evil flames from the Netherworld, which will cause that power to flare up inside him. He will be cooked from the inside out, being roasted by his own Symbol Power!"

"But..."

"The Shiba Clan carry the power of the Sealing Symbol. They're the reason we've all been trapped down here for over fifteen years." Octoroo told her. "If you eliminate the last of the Shiba Clan, then by the time Master Xandred comes back..."

"There will be no one to stop him!" Fiera screamed in delight. "He'll...He'll rule everything! He'll..."

"He'll show great gratitude to anyone that helped him achieve that goal." Octoroo interrupted her, patting her shoulder gently. "Imagine how grateful he would be to the one who rids him of the only threat to his rule."

"I'll do it." She told him, preparing to leave the ship. "I'll let you know when it's done."

As she left, Octoroo just sighed and shook his head.

"Too easy." He responded. "Now, I just have to prepare my real plan."

The Rangers scrambled through the city after the Gap Sensor sounded. The memorial park was now swarming with Moogers. Fortunately, there weren't many people around. It was the week of Armistice Day, and if the attack had been on the Sunday, then there would have been many more victims. Indeed, it seemed odd that they attacked anywhere there were so few people. After all, the Nighlock attacked to create misery, meaning the more people there were, the better. Taking a baby's toy would create misery, but barely add a few drops to the Sanzu. No, they generally liked to go big when they launched their attacks.

Antonio ploughed into the first wave, clearing the path for the only civilians they found. He smashed them away, allowing the unfortunate tourists to escape.

"I swear, these guys get uglier every time I see them!" He exclaimed, cutting a path through them with his Barracuda Blade. Mike wasn't far away, and laughed in response.

"These guys have the market covered in ugly." He answered.

"Guys, we need to focus, just because it's only Moogers doesn't mean we can be complacent." Kevin reprimanded them. "The energy signature was too strong for just Moogers."

"We need to assume something else is out here." Jayden reminded them. "Just focus, pick your targets..."

"I know I have!" Fiera interrupted him as she appeared in a flurry of feathers, levelling her cannon arm at him. She fired, striking Jayden in the chest. He staggered backwards a few paces, struggling to remain on his feet with the impact.

He was about to attack, but just then, he felt power surging inside him. It burned and boiled inside him, erupting in a sudden burst that caused every inch of his body, every muscle, every nerve ending to feel like it was on fire. He struggled to contain the energy in his own body, feeling like he was ready to explode, before a blue flame erupted from his chest. He let out a hellish scream, falling to his knees.

She levelled the cannon again as the other Rangers were distracted. Octoroo had sent a contingent of Moogers to keep the others busy. He knew that if they figured out Fiera was there to focus her attacks on Jayden, the one they relied on to end the war, then they would immediately run to his defence, regardless of what it meant for them. Fiera was a skilled hunter, a sniper. While she was a powerful warrior in her own right, she was best as a sniper, picking a single target and concentrating on them until they were gone.

As she fired, it hit Jayden in the chest once more, sending him tumbling away. He got up, but after a second or so, he felt it again, only this time more intense than before.

He had been used to Fire Symbol Power, having grown with it his entire life. However, this was far more intense. This time, he clutched his sides, feeling everything burning to the point he almost felt like he was going to burst into flames and burn out completely. His vision blurred, and he struggled with the pain. As it flared up once more, he was no longer able to hold it in, and screamed out in agony, causing all the other Rangers to snap around at his cries.

"Jayden!" Kevin called out as he ran across. Fiera fired another shot, but this one hit Kevin as he arrived between them. Kevin was staggered, having taken a hard impact to the chest. He was a little winded, but stood on his feet, between Jayden and Fiera. He stood, clutching his chest, but he didn't react the same way Jayden had.

"Kevin, don't..."

"I'm fine." Kevin insisted. "In fact...Mike hits me harder in training."

"It feels like...It feels like my insides are on fire!" Jayden told him.

"That's the whole point!" Fiera stated. "These Fire-Flashers cause his Symbol Power to flare up inside him. I'll burn him out with his own Symbol Power!"

"You made a huge mistake Fiera!" Mike remarked as the others finished with the Moogers, surrounding Jayden. "You know we'll never let you take out Jayden."

"Guys, you have to..."

"We have to protect the Sealing Symbol Power!" Mike interrupted him. "We'll protect Jayden."

"Well, that's just so heart-warming to hear." She taunted them. "Of course, you can only block a shot if you see it coming."

With that, she disappeared in a flurry of feathers. Kevin gripped his Spin Sword tightly as he gestured the others into a perimeter around Jayden.

"Alright guys, we know what she wants." Kevin called out. Jayden grabbed his arm.

"Kevin, stop taking hits..."

"She said it herself; those blasts are built for you." Kevin reminded him. "Whatever happens, she can't get to Jayden."

"Right!" They all chorused together, forming the perimeter, protecting their leader.

Back at the Shiba House, Ji and Brenda were watching the map. Brenda knew that Ji always worried when the Rangers went to battle. He was obviously closest to Jayden, but she knew that he loved all of the Rangers like children. He took his responsibility to take care of them very seriously, but given the transmissions they were getting back he seemed even more troubled.

Jayden had always been a prime target for the Nighlock, but now more than ever, it seemed like they had sent one with a single-minded focus on attacking him and only him. Even without a specialised weapon, nothing was more dangerous than having an enemy with such an obsessive focus on one opponent.

Just as she was about to comfort him, she heard the doorbell. He looked to Brenda, before getting up and heading down the hall.

The bell sounded again as he made his way down, his heart racing. After he was finished with it, Jayden had allowed him to read the message. He was expecting the same thing Jayden was. He crossed the garden, making his way to the garden gates.

Pulling them open, he saw her standing before him, and his heart stopped still. He could hardly believe his eyes; believe that it was possible that she was standing before him.

"I...I can't believe it's true." He stammered. "How is it possible?"

"There will be time for explanations later." She told him, heading inside and looking around. Ji just closed the door behind him, unable to take his eyes off her. The rumours, the secrets were all true; he couldn't hope to deny it any longer. She was standing in his living room.


	2. The Secret Revealed

Jayden hated this game. Here he was, the Red Ranger, the leader of the team, and yet he was on his knees with the others crowding around him.

Mike paced impatiently, his Spin-Sword waving back and forth. They all knew that Fiera was there for Jayden, and with a weapon that as particularly deadly to him. Jayden hated most of all that the others were throwing themselves in the line of fire for him.

With a flurry of feathers, they turned one way, only to see Fiera cackling loudly, firing a blast which Emily took full in the face. Mike was quickly by her side.

"I'm alright." She assured him, picking up her sword. She could feel the blood dripping down from her nose, but on the whole, it wasn't a bad injury. She was still in the fight, and she had no intentions of dropping out because of a bloody nose.

Another cackle, and Antonio hit the dirt. He was quickly back to his feet, eager to protect Jayden. More than any of them, Antonio wanted to make sure Jayden got out of this.

"Guys, you can't keep..."

"Taking hits for you?" Fiera asked as she appeared a little way in front of them. She unclipped the Fire Flashers from her shoulder. "I'll make this easier for you then."

She disappeared before the blast flew from Mia's Sky Fan, and none of the Rangers could see where she went. She reappeared briefly, taking aim and firing a round at Mike, taking him down. She disappeared before the Rangers could respond.

In a frenzy, she appeared and disappeared, attacking all of the Rangers, all the time cackling insanely. She took all of them down, leaving all of them injured. Jayden saw what his friends were doing for him. Getting to his feet, he held up the Black Box.

"If you want to fight, leave them alone and fight me!" Jayden insisted, powering up. "Super Samurai Mode!"

He powered up just in time, feeling a hit on his back that felt like a kick from a horse. He felt the Fire Symbol Power inside him flaring up again and grunted in pain, stopping himself from letting her know how much it hurt, even though every instinct in his body was begging him to just give up and collapse. The Black Box saved him this time, without it, he was sure that blast would have finished him off, but he wasn't going to let that dictate matters. He summoned the Bullzooka, slamming the Black Box into place.

"Come out and fight!" Jayden roared. "You want me, I'm right here! Come and face me!"

He saw that his friends were still recovering, and knew that he was on his own for a while at least. He walked to the Cenotaph, pressing his back against it, hoping that he would see any attack coming. His heart pounded in his chest. This was what he always feared. He was on his own, as he always had been.

He heard a cackle, and looked up just in time to see Fiera before him, firing her cannon. He held up the Bullzooka, which took the brunt of the hit, but the energy splashed around it, still hitting him. The burn wasn't so intense, but he still felt it. His suit was giving off smoke, and every move, even just breathing was agony. Still, he knew it didn't matter. He had a job to do.

He strode out to the centre of the memorial, and started to look around. He closed his eyes, listening for anything, and as he heard a whip of a sudden gust of wind, he spun around.

Fiera was standing a little way off, levelling what he was sure she expected to be the kill shot, and he fired. Her blast caught him in the chest, sending him flying, but his blast also caught her. She screamed in agony as she fell to the ground, before exploding. He got a little smile on his face, before the world faded into darkness.

The other Rangers recovered consciousness and saw Jayden on the ground unmoving. Fearing the worst, they ran to his side, where Kevin confirmed that he was still breathing.

"He's alive." Kevin commented. Jayden stirred slightly, indicating that he was still conscious.

Before any of them could add to the conversation, Fiera returned to life, growing to massive size. Kevin looked to Jayden, who was just barely moving. Jayden offered Kevin the Black Box, which he took reluctantly.

"I'll give this back, I swear." Kevin told him. "Guy, it's time. Super Samurai combination!"

As they ran off to do battle with Fiera, Octoroo arrived on the scene to watch. Just as he had planned, Jayden was down, leaving the others to deal with Fiera. He found a place to hide in some nearby bushes, keeping his eyes trained on Jayden. He smiled as he saw what he was waiting for.

Jayden's vision blurred in and out of focus. He could hear the battle a little way off, but his body was spent, and he was in no condition to join his friends. As he lay on the ground, he saw someone walking towards him. She was a little shorter than him, and had a healthy build. She was wearing a black and white striped jersey, and a short, denim skirt. She came to his side, kneeling next to him. Seeing her face, her bright blue eyes, and her ash blonde hair, he smiled a little.

"It's true. It's really true." He murmured. "You're really here..."

"Don't try to talk." She answered, checking over him.

"My friends..." He started to say. The stranger just held up a finger to silence him, before reaching behind her, pulling out a cell phone. She flipped it open, before folding it length-wise. A point came from the top, making it resemble a paintbrush.

"Just rest here Jayden." She implored him. "Let me deal with this."

In the Claw Armour Megazord, the rest of the team were taking a beating. They tried again and again to attack Fiera, but every time their blades came close, the Nighlock disappeared in a flurry of feathers.

"She's too fast!" Kevin protested as sparks flew through the cockpit, following another jarring impact. "We can't get a hit in!"

"How are we meant to beat her if we can't hit her?" Mike asked. "This is like trying to complete Battletoads on the NES!"

"The energy readings are going haywire!" Antonio interrupted them. "We can't take much more of this!"

With a loud shriek, Fiera hit them with a power blast, which all but finished off the Zords. The Rangers didn't even have time to bail out before the Zords broke apart, falling to the ground.

"So much for finishing the Red Ranger, I could finish all of you myself right now!" She cackled, beginning to kick the inert Zords. "If Xandred would be grateful to me for ridding him of the Red Ranger, just think what he'll give me if I destroy all of you before..."

Her words tailed off as the Lion Zord jumped her, clawing and biting at her with a furious roar. Kevin shook the cobwebs clear.

"Guys, check it out!" Kevin stated. "It looks like Jayden's..."

"Kevin, Jayden's still down there." Antonio interrupted him. Kevin looked down to the cenotaph, seeing Jayden still rested against it, unmoving.

"But...the Lion Zord..." He stammered.

"Can the Zords act at full size on their own?" Mike asked.

"Not that I know of." Emily added.

"So if Jayden's not in there...?"

"Who is?" Mia concluded.

Fiera screamed as the Lion Zord leapt away from her, unleashing its flame breath attack, burning her badly.

"She's too fast for the Megazord." Mike commented. "But the Lionzord is fast enough to take her!"

The other Rangers watched as the Lion Zord hit its Pentagonal fury attack, destroying Fiera completely. They had no idea how it could have happened, but they were far more concerned with Jayden's wellbeing.

They arrived by the foot of the cenotaph, coming to Jayden's side. Kevin and Antonio helped him to his feet.

"Jayden, Jayden, are you alright?" Mia asked him. He just nodded weakly.

"Did you see what happened?" Emily asked. "Your Lion Zord, it operated by itself..."

Just then, she was cut off as a strange figure landed a little way from them, coming into view. They all stared in disbelief. She was wearing a skirt, and her physique showed her to be a female, but standing before them was the Red Samurai Ranger. They looked between Jayden and the stranger, completely confused.

"OK, is this like the Spike thing?" Mia asked.

"No, we destroyed Trickster. His spell died with him." Kevin remarked. Mike then pointed to the stranger as a thought occurred to him.

"Wait, what about that time we went to Corinth?" He asked them. "There was a girl Red Ranger there!"

"But...how?" Kevin asked. Jayden lifted his head weakly as the Red Ranger de-morphed, approaching them.

"I didn't believe it myself until I saw her with my own eyes." Jayden told them. "This is Lauren. She's my big sister."

The Rangers stood, unable to say anything in shock. From his vantage point, Octoroo just smiled.

"Just as I thought." He commented to himself. "Without the imposter to hide behind, the REAL head of the Shiba Clan's been forced into the open."


	3. An Explanation Long Overdue

Ji had already prepared all the medical supplies in Jayden's room by the time the team got back. He had been keeping track of the battle, and knew that Fiera had singled Jayden out, attacking with a weapon that turned his own symbol power against him. He could only presume that the Nighlock still didn't know about Lauren, and had manufactured this deadly new weapon to destroy him, and end the threat of the sealing symbol. Mike and Antonio struggled with Jayden, who was pretty much dead weight between them, coming in the door. Lauren was a little way behind them, bringing up the rear.

All of the Rangers looked weary, and there were some noticeable injuries, but more than that, he could see that it wasn't the physical fallout from the battle that was affecting them. Lauren's appearance, a new Ranger, indeed, a new RED Ranger, was something none of them were prepared for. For almost two years, all of them had been led to believe that Jayden was the last of his clan. However, the war had made them mostly pragmatic on such matters. The most immediate concern was Jayden's wellbeing. Once they had seen to his condition, then they could worry about hearing the answers that were long overdue.

"This way." Ji instructed them, gesturing them in the direction of Jayden's room. Antonio and Mike got him there, laying him down on the bed. Mike left the room as Lauren came to the side of the bed, looking distraught. She had been gone a long time. She hadn't seen her brother in over fifteen years, and on the day she finally came back, she faced losing him. Ji started to check him over as Antonio knelt by the side of the bed.

"Hang on Jayden." Antonio begged him, taking his hand gently. "Please, you've come this far."

"He is strong." Ji assured them, fixing him some herbal tea, and helping Jayden to drink it. "This should make him more comfortable for now. There is little else we can do right now."

"I should have gotten there sooner." Lauren murmured. "I...I tried...I really did..."

"Hey, until an hour ago we didn't know you were even coming." Antonio told her, putting a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. He had only just met Lauren, but he could already see a lot of similarities between her and Jayden. She was blaming herself for Jayden getting hurt so badly. "If it wasn't for you, Fiera would have stomped us into oblivion."

"We should leave him to rest." Ji told them. "Lauren, if you don't disturb him, you stay with him."

"But..."

"He needs to rest; there is nothing else we can do for him right now." Ji reminded Antonio, knowing that he wanted to stay with Jayden. "Besides, the time has come to address another issue."

"Letting the others know what's going on." Antonio surmised. He looked to Lauren regretfully. "I guess maybe it's better to break this to them now."

"I guess so." She agreed with a little nod. "I'll be through in a little while."

Antonio and Ji left Lauren alone in the room with Jayden, heading back into the Living Room. The others were all crowded around, waiting for word on Jayden.

"His injuries are severe, but he is resting." Ji informed them. "Lauren is with him."

Kevin leant against the wall, letting out a huge sigh. Mia and Emily just looked at each other uneasily, while Mike cracked his knuckles just hearing Lauren's name. Serena and Terry just watched on. While they weren't Rangers, they had done so much for the others, that they deserved to be recognised as being equal to any of the Rangers. Ji looked to Antonio, and to Brenda, realising that they couldn't put this off any longer. Now was the time for them to hear the answers they had a right to hear.

"No doubt you all have a lot of questions." He said, running a hand through his hair. They all sat quietly for a moment, uncertain how to proceed. There had to be so much they wanted to know, that he was sure it would be difficult to know where to begin. Mike eventually led off with the most obvious question.

"Lauren's Jayden's sister?" He asked. Ji just nodded in response.

"Yes, she is Jayden's older sister." Ji confirmed. "She was the first-born. She is the true eighteenth head of the Shiba Clan."

"But...why...why has it taken so long for her to show up?" Emily asked. "Where's she been? Why did none of us know about her until now?"

"That, I'm afraid is a long story." Ji told them. "It all dates back to the night Master Xandred was sealed away, fifteen years ago."

The sky was pitch black, though the city could be seen just as well as if it had been broad daylight. The flames throughout the city gave the city an ominous red glow. Smoke billowed into the skies, and the sounds of screams, alarms and sirens could be heard as far away as the Shiba House.

The Rangers came stumbling into the house, having been forced to fall back. Their very presence in the city only led to the brunt of Xandred's assault taking place in the middle of the city. It was already too late for the citizens to evacuate, and the decision had been taken to draw Xandred away from the city, back towards the Shiba House.

Their costumes all showed signs of the hits they had taken. Ji couldn't remember ever seeing them in such a state. They didn't de-morph, knowing that it wouldn't be long before their deadliest foe came back to the house.

"Steven!" Ji called out to the Red Ranger, reaching for the first-aid kit. Steven stopped him though.

"There's no time." Steven told him. "It's time. I'm afraid we must do as we discussed."

"Steven..."

"We barely even got back here." The Blue Ranger, Kevin's father told him. "The Beetle Zord and the Swordfish Zord sacrificed themselves to cover our escape."

"They're gone?" Ji gasped. The Blue Ranger just handed him an orange power disk.

"The Beetle was so badly damaged; this was the only way I could save it." He informed Ji. "The Swordfish...it was blasted into the ocean. We have no idea where it is."

"The Claword took a beating too." The Pink Ranger informed him, showing him the damaged Zord, cradled in her arms. It bleeped pathetically, and seemed barely responsive. Ji took it from her. "I don't know if it can be saved."

"It's a pretty moot point anyway Sadie." Steven sighed. "I doubt Xandred's going to give us time to repair it."

"Steven, surely there's another way." Ji implored him. Steven shook his head.

"I'm afraid we're out of options." Steven answered. Just then, the door opened, and a man in robes, carrying a katana came running in.

"Kieran?" Ji asked.

"I called him." Steven informed Ji as he went to another room. He unlocked the door, and went inside, finding his two children under a blanket, hiding. He had told them to wait here until he was finished. It was his sincerest wish that he would never have to enact this plan. He had hoped that they would be able to take care of Xandred, but it became quickly apparent that they were woefully under powered for the task. He pulled back the blanket, looking to his daughter.

"Lauren, come with me." He instructed her. Her eyes were wide, and she looked to her brother, hugging him tightly. He had known that this was a possibility, and he had told her what would happen if he needed to come back. She clutched onto Jayden, like her life depended on it. He just looked to her, grabbing her arm. "I'm sorry, there's no time for this. We must go now!"

He dragged her away, blocking out her heartbreaking protests. He didn't want to do this either, but he really didn't see another way. He handed her to Kieran, who grabbed her.

"I trust you Kieran; you know what has to be done." Steven told him. He then looked to Lauren, who was starting to tear up. He took off his helmet, looking into her eyes and cradled her face with his hand.

"Lauren, Kieran will take you somewhere safe." He told her. "I know this is hard, I never wanted to leave this responsibility to you, but you know I don't have the time to do what I need to."

He handed her a little leather book.

"This is my research into the Sealing Symbol." He told her. "Our allies will take care of you. They will train you, and raise you. I want you to promise me that you'll work hard. You will study every day, and you will do everything you can to succeed where I have failed. You will complete the Sealing Symbol."

Lauren couldn't say anything, looking back to the bedroom. Steven knew that she didn't want to be separated from her brother, but he didn't have a choice.

"Lauren, if you stay, then we'll be over-run and everything will be lost." He implored her. "I can't guarantee when, but if you do this, then one day you will be able to return. I need you to promise me you'll do this. You're our only hope."

Lauren just nodded, reluctantly clutching the book to her chest. It was a horrible burden to put on a child. He then looked to Kieran.

"No one can know where you're taking her." He said, his eyes pleading with his friend.

"I'll protect her with my last breath." Kieran assured him. He took Lauren up in his arms, running out of the house, and throwing her up onto the back of a horse. Mounting the horse behind her, he rode out of the house, leaving it far behind.

Steven turned back to his fellow Samurai, seeing the way they were looking at him. He had informed them of his plan, and they knew that things were getting desperate.

"Ji, I need you to take care of Jayden." He told him. "We'll need him to take over, to keep the fight going if the Nighlock come back before Lauren is ready."

"I'll go and get him..."

"Not yet." Steven told him. He turned to the other Samurai, knowing that this was the part he needed them to play. It was a lot to ask, and he knew that he needed them to be on board.

"The only thing we need now is to give them time." He informed them. "I...I...I couldn't tell the children, but I have a version of the Sealing Symbol. It just isn't complete."

"It's not complete?" The Green Ranger asked. "Then what good is it?"

"It will buy the children the time they need." Steven informed them. "It will, however, take all the Symbol Power I have...and the remainder of my life energy too."

"What?" The Yellow Ranger shrieked.

"I'm going to buy the time we need with my life." He told them. "I'll need time, space to create the symbol. For that, I need to ask you to help."

He approached the Blue Ranger.

"Baron, if I fall, and there are any opponents left, you will need to lead the team." He instructed him. The Blue Ranger just nodded in response.

"Parry, you've been a pain in the ass at times, but you're easily one of the strongest warriors I've ever had the honour of fighting with." He continued down the line, addressing the Green Ranger. He stopped by the Yellow Ranger. "Ava, there were more times than I can count that things seemed impossible, and you always brought us back. Those two girls of yours are really lucky."

He then stopped by the Pink Ranger.

"Sadie, if you get through this, promise me one thing." He told her. "For God's sake learn how to cook."

There was a small laugh from the whole team. It had been something of a running joke for them, and knowing that he was going on a one-way mission, he wanted to lighten the mood slightly. He then looked to Ji.

"Bring him here." He told him. Ji then went back into the bedroom to collect Jayden.

"You all know what happened next." Ji concluded his story. "The Nighlock never even knew that Lauren existed. She was sent into hiding to master the Sealing Symbol, and her father, my best friend, sacrificed himself to seal the Nighlock away long enough for Jayden and Lauren to grow up."

"Our parents sacrificed a lot too." Mia whispered, thinking of her own mother. Sadie had suffered a broken back in the battle, and had been paraplegic ever since. She had heard from the others that their parents had similarly horrific memories of that day. "I can't believe they knew about this."

"They were all sworn to secrecy." Ji explained, hoping that they would not think badly of their parents for keeping this from them. "It was vital that Lauren's existence was kept a secret."

"Then why did it take her so long to turn up?" Mike asked.

"Unfortunately something went wrong with the plan." Ji told them. "Somehow...someone found out about Lauren. A little over two years ago, we got word of an attack at the home of one of our allies. It was the latest place she was training. I went there to check. The house was in ruin, our allies were dead, and there was no sign of Lauren. We presumed the worst, and prepared to face the Nighlock without her."

"So, the reason Jayden couldn't create the Sealing Symbol..."

"With Lauren dead, the ability to create the Sealing Symbol, the full range of the Shiba Family's powers should have passed to Jayden as the oldest surviving member of the clan." Ji explained. "We believed that Jayden's inability to do so was simply down to the complexity of the power required. We never suspected that Lauren was still alive. Until..."

"Until when?" Mike interrupted him. Ji took a deep breath.

"There have been rumours, reports of strange power signatures that made us suspect there was a possibility that she was alive." Ji told them. "Then, we received word in a letter written by her own hand yesterday."

"That's what that letter was about!" Mia gasped. Ji nodded his head.

"So...where's she been?" Mike asked. "What happened to her after the attack?"

"I don't know." Ji answered honestly. "She hasn't told us."

"I can't believe they kept this from us." Mike commented. "Jayden must have felt like his whole life was a lie."

"Not to mention that on the same night, he lost his dad and his big sister." Emily remarked sympathetically. "And Lauren...at least Jayden had Ji. I can't imagine what her life must have been like."

Kevin didn't say anything. He just left the room. Antonio got up from his chair.

"I'm sure everyone could use something to eat." He commented. "I'll fire up the barbecue. I figure we can all use a treat."

"I'll help." Mike volunteered, coming with him, with Emily a short way behind.

Serena, Mia, Terry and Brenda were the only ones left in the room. Serena looked to Ji.

"So...that's it?" Serena asked. "That's all there is to be said about this?"

"Until Jayden and Lauren are able to shed light on a few things, I guess there isn't much more we can talk about."

"I'm going to help Antonio." Serena grumbled. "Hopefully I get there before Mike gets his hands on the gas tank. The last thing we need is an explosion."

As they left, Mia just looked to them wordlessly, before heading off in the direction Kevin had gone earlier. Ji just held his head in his hands.

"This isn't the end of this is it?" Brenda asked him.

"Can you blame them?" He asked her. "Even I have questions about all of this."

"There'll be time for that." Brenda assured him.

"I really hope so." Ji answered.

In his room, Jayden was starting to come to, and he smiled to see Lauren sitting by the side of his bed. After falling asleep, his mind had gone over what had happened again and again. He still couldn't believe that she was really here.

"I...I was starting to think I was only dreaming." He stammered, shifting to sit up a little. Lauren smiled a little as she handed him a cup of tea.

"I've always dreamed of this day." She told him. "I've thought about you often. I've been all over the world, I never stayed anywhere for long, but I always hoped that I'd come back to you."

"Lauren, we went to the farm after the attack. I saw..." Jayden tailed off as he thought about the scene. "We thought you were dead. What happened to you? Where did you go?"

Lauren looked decidedly uncomfortable with the question, looking away from him. She noticeably gulped, before taking his cup form him.

"Here, let me get you more tea." She stated, pouring him another cup. "I was really proud of you the way you fought. You've really grown into a true Samurai."

"Well, you were the one that tore up the battlefield." Jayden answered, taking the cup. It hadn't escaped his notice that Lauren had completely side-stepped the question about where she had been, and what had happened to her. He wanted to press the issue, but he had a feeling she wouldn't talk about it. Besides, he was so overjoyed to have his sister back; he had so much to talk to her about. Fifteen years was a long time.

"Your team...they seem nice." Lauren told him. "I'm so glad to know you had them around you. I've...I've been so alone, I know it can't have been easy for you either, but I'm glad you had someone to make things easier."

"They're more than just my team now." Jayden told her. "They're like a family to me."

Lauren smiled to hear of him speaking about them this way. It was a long time since either of them had a family. She had lost her mother to illness shortly after Jayden was born, and barely remembered her. The day of the final battle, she had lost her father and her brother. Although she had servants and allies to take care of her, she never had a family.

"Hopefully I can become a part of this family too." She answered. "You and me, surrounded by friends, I'm so happy to have found you again."

She stroked his face gently; unable to believe that the man lying before her was the same little boy she loved so dearly as a child. Jayden got a serious look on his face, and she knew that he wanted to say something, but he seemed to think better of it.

"What?" Lauren asked. "What is it?"

"It can wait." Jayden told her. "I guess...I'm just enjoying having my sister back."

**A/N: **Just in case anyone is curious, I named Jayden's father as a nod to the actor who played him, Steven A Davies. The others, I chose from the pre-production place-holder names given in the original scripts for the respective Rangers.


	4. Lauren's Introduction

Brenda and Ji were sitting in the Living Room, waiting for Antonio to announce that the barbecue was ready. Ji was on the phone to someone, speaking in Japanese. She wasn't fluent like he was, only picking up pieces of the conversation, but she was trying hard not to listen. She knew that Lauren's arrival was bound to create its own drama in the group. She had already noticed the Rangers were rather subdued about the whole thing. It was a pretty big bombshell that had been dropped on them, and so far, they hadn't even been able to get even half the questions they had to have off their chest. Lauren had spent her time since arriving in the house with Jayden.

As he hung up, Lauren finally came out of Jayden's room. She took a seat on the chair opposite them and held her head in her hands.

"He's just resting." She told them as she finally looked back up from her hands, taking a deep breath. Her nerves were obvious, even from across the room.

"It has been a long time." Ji commented, looking to her.

"So much has changed around here." She stated, looking around.

"Fifteen years kind of does that." Brenda assured her as Lauren got up, holding herself tightly as she looked around. Much of the Shiba House looked familiar. Not much of the decor had changed since she had left as a child, but as much as she remembered, so little of it felt familiar. It didn't give her the same feeling of home that she remembered. Seeing the large screen TV, she furrowed her brows, before looking back to Ji. "We didn't have a TV."

"Ah, yes, that was my addition to the house." Ji told her. "Well, I got a TV years ago. That one is new. Mike and Emily had to replace it after a mishap with their Wii."

"What's a Wii?" Lauren asked in response. Brenda just looked to Ji.

"She's kidding right?" She asked. Ji just shook his head. He got up, heading over to Lauren.

"I think Mike would be the best one to demonstrate that." Ji told her. "He's the resident videogame enthusiast. The Wii was his addition to the house."

"You let him bring a game to the house?" Lauren asked in response. "But...I thought they would be too busy with their training..."

"Things have changed a little since your parents' day." Ji explained, realising that she had a lot to catch up on. The rest of the team had been in the house, and had seen the changes being made, and gotten to know each other. Not only did Lauren have to come into the team, but she was also going to be expected to take the lead. She was the true head of the Shiba Clan, the true Shogun. If that was to happen, she needed to learn about her team, and they had to learn to trust her and believe in her as a leader. "This time around, the team were considerably younger when they came to the house, so we believed that their time here would be a little easier if they were allowed to bring a couple of reminders of home with them."

"But...games?" She asked him.

"Even your parents played games in their spare time." Ji reminded her. "Don't you remember your father playing board games with the Zords, and the others?"

"Vaguely." Lauren said as she thought about it. She did remember a few nights like that. When their parents were at the house, she knew that they all already had kids. The current team had already been born. The other team members took some comfort from the presence of Lauren and Jayden. It was clear that they all missed their families terribly, and loved including the kids where they could in their down-time.

"The television and games console are not the only additions to the house, or the team." He informed her. "It should be a little while before the barbecue is ready, so perhaps I should catch you up on a few things before you go and introduce yourself to the others properly."

"Um...OK?" She asked. "So, how much has really changed?"

Brenda looked to Ji and got up, heading for the kitchen.

"I'll make you some coffee." She told her. "This could take a while."

Out in the yard, Emily was looking out food for the barbecue, while Mike and Antonio worked on getting the barbecue lit. She laughed a little to see them bickering as they tried to get it prepared for the food. She had no idea what the deal was with guys and barbecues. The guys pretty much had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the kitchen if they were made to take a turn cooking, but as soon as the word barbecue was mentioned, they fought for the position of chef. She figured it had something to do with cooking over flames, but she still didn't really see the difference in the way they did.

Mike came over, sitting down and sulking slightly. Emily just sniggered.

"I take it Antonio got the barbecue lit?" She surmised.

"I swear there's something screwy with that gas tank." Mike muttered, gesturing to where Antonio was doing a little victory dance while he got the grill prepared. He put on an apron, with the message to 'kiss the chef' written across it in large letters. It was just another thing that amused Emily about the guys' obsession with barbecues. They didn't seem to realise how ridiculous they looked in their 'comedy' aprons. "There's no other reason it would take so long..."

"Did you remember to turn on the valve?" Emily asked him.

"Of course I..." Mike started to say, before his words tailed off. "I...I forgot to turn on the valve."

"Well, at least it's better than the time you turned it on too high." Emily teased him, shoving him slightly. "The no-eyebrows look wasn't that attractive."

"Say, you seem kind of upbeat about the whole 'new Ranger' thing." Mike commented, gesturing back to the house. "Can you believe Jayden had an older sister and didn't tell us?"

"Well given what Ji said, it seems like even they didn't know she was still around." Emily reminded him. "I can't imagine what Jayden's feeling right now."

"I imagine he's pretty stoked." Mike answered. "I mean, he's just got his sister back from the dead. Who wouldn't be happy about that? You remember how you felt when Serena was healed."

"Yeah, I remember how I felt. I was over the moon." Emily sighed as she thought about it. "But what about the other stuff?"

"What are you talking, what other stuff?" Mike asked his fiancée. Emily took a deep breath as she prepared to tell him about some of the things that had crossed her mind.

"Well, what about the Sealing Symbol?" She asked him. "Jayden's been practicing that all the time for nearly two years. Now, he finds out in one afternoon, he's been wasting his time all along."

"Well, I don't know about wasting his time." Mike remarked. "Why wouldn't having another person working on the Sealing Symbol...?"

"You don't get it Mike; you're not like Jayden and me. You're a first-born." She told him. "I'm not, I'm the second child. I know that there are some things I'll never be able to do."

"I don't understand." Mike said honestly. "I mean, I've seen you in action with a Samuraizer. You might have taken a while, and your confidence still needs a bit of stroking now and then, but you're easily as powerful as..."

"It's not just about power Mike." She interrupted him. "You really don't read up on your history do you?"

"You know I don't read anything that doesn't have the words 'strategy guide' written on the cover." He chuckled.

"When a Samurai had kids, the first born inherited the family titles, their lands, their fortune...everything." Emily told him. Mike just looked at her in disbelief.

"Even I knew that." Mike sniggered. "It was the one benefit of being an only child, no jealous siblings out to take your inheritance."

"There are certain abilities that are connected to the family titles." Emily informed him. "In the case of the Shiba Clan, it's the Sealing Power."

"And since it's tied to the family title, the title of Shogun..."

"Jayden would only ever be able to do it if Lauren died." Emily concluded. "He didn't know she was alive, so he practiced and practiced, but even if he got the symbol right, exactly right...then he would never be able to conjure it."

"Wow...that...that really kind of sucks." Mike commented. "I used to get frustrated when I couldn't get past part of a video game, but I knew I could do it eventually. To not be able to and not even know it was impossible?"

"There's also another thing." Emily continued. "Lauren's the real Shogun, the real Red Ranger."

"So?" Mike asked her. His eyebrows rose as he caught onto Emily's wavelength. "You don't think...?"

"She's the one that should have been the leader all along." Emily concluded. Mike thought about it for a second, before shaking his head.

"No, I doubt they'd do that." He commented. "We've followed Jayden for all this time. We know him, we trust him."

"Mike..."

"Ji joined the team, and he still stood aside for Jayden as the leader." Mike reminded her. "Sure, we need Lauren's Sealing Power, but that doesn't mean they'd do that."

"Mike..."

"What we've been doing has worked for nearly two years." Mike put down flatly. "Why would they want to change that now?"

"Hey Mike, bring over the burgers!" Antonio called over. Mike just grabbed the first tray of burgers and headed over. Emily just sighed as she looked away.

"I really hope you're right Mike." Emily murmured. "I just have a bad feeling about this."

Back in the Living Room, Lauren just sat with her mouth hanging open as Ji concluded his run-down of the important things that had happened. She started stroking the side of her head as she tried to process it all.

"I think I have a headache." She muttered as she struggled to wrap her brain around everything that had happened in the last two years. It seemed that they hadn't done things the way their parents had, and at times tradition had been outright thrown out the window due to some pretty bizarre circumstances.

"It's been a pretty busy two years." Ji confirmed.

"I'll say." Lauren remarked. "So, Brenda, you're Ji's wife, and you're having his child?"

"Yes, yes I am." She answered. Lauren just shook her head and looked to the floor.

"So much for no contact." She murmured, before looking up, seeing the looks on their faces. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean offence...I..."

"It's quite alright." Ji assured her. "I suppose we have given a lot of flexibility to tradition."

"The others...?"

"I think it is probably best you take the time to get to know them yourself." Ji interrupted her. "I know that it's a daunting task, but you know as well as I do that if you're to lead effectively, they will need to trust you. They'll need to believe in you the way they believe in Jayden."

"I suppose dad did get pretty close to his team." She sighed, getting up from her seat. "I suppose if they're going to place their lives in my hands, I have to do the same."

"Jayden has had the benefit of two years with the team to get his relationship." Ji reminded her. "Have patience and an open mind when you speak to them. You will find that they do not have the same views on things you do, but they are a strong and effective team because of it."

"Well, here goes nothing." Lauren said, taking a deep breath and heading for the door. "Wish me luck."

As she headed out the door, she could smell the meat cooking on the grill. Kevin and Mia had joined the others by now. She saw Mike with a burger, taking a bite that looked like he had to be capable of dislocating his jaw, squirting ketchup out of the bottom, mercifully onto the plate. Antonio saw her and smiled. He wanted to make an impression on Lauren. Being Jayden's sister, he wanted her to like him.

"Hey, Lauren, you're just in time!" He called out, gesturing her over. He flipped a burger off the grill, sliding it onto a bun. "Here, I have a special burger for our newest Ranger!"

Lauren smiled a little, hearing this. She couldn't help noticing that the Rangers were all as cautious around her as she was around them, none of them really knowing how to approach the situation.

"So, what do you like on your burger?" He asked her. "Jalapenos? Cheese? Ketchup?"

"I...I really don't know." Lauren told him as she sat down, placing her morpher on the table next to her. "I've...I've never..."

"Wait, you're kidding right?" Mike mumbled through a mouthful. He gulped it down. "You've never had a burger?"

She just shrugged as Antonio set the burger down in front of her.

"Leave it alone Mike, there's a first time for everything." He answered. "Unless...you're not vegetarian are you?"

"No, most definitely not." Lauren assured him, picking up the burger. Seeing the way Mike had tackled his burger, she just took a bite. Her eyes opened wide as the taste hit her.

"Wow." She mumbled, looking to it. "Where has this been all my life?"

"I've yet to meet anyone that doesn't like Antonio's burgers." Emily told her as she and Mia sat down either side of her.

"It'll be great having another girl on the team." Mia commented. "I mean, the boys do kind of outnumber us here."

"Hey, speaking of which, I have a great idea!" Emily called out. "We should all have a girls' day out! It'll really give us the chance to get to know you. To find out what you're all about!"

Lauren smiled, her mouth still full of burger. She nodded a little, realising that this was probably the best offer she was going to get. The girls comprised just under half the team. While technically only Emily and Mia were on the team, she got the impression that Serena was important in the grand scheme of things.

She noticed Mike picking up her morpher, noticing that it was different. She watched as he took it, flipping it open.

"Don't play with that." Lauren said, reaching for it. Mike pulled it out of reach slightly as he inspected it.

Like the others, he presumed that Lauren had taken Jayden's morpher from him during the battle. However, he hit a switch, at which it folded over and a point came out the end, making it look a little like a paintbrush. He looked to Lauren.

"You...you have your own morpher?" He asked her. "I thought..."

Lauren grabbed the morpher, and with a little more effort than she should have, yanked it from his hand.

"It was my father's. He used it in his final battle." She told them.

"So, both you and Jayden have morphers that work?" Mike asked excitedly. "Guys, we have two Red Rangers!"

"Has that even been done before?" Kevin asked.

"I think there was one time..."

"Rhetorical question Antonio." Mia groaned.

"Where did you get this?" Mike asked her. "I thought..."

"It was taken to the Tengen Gate and kept for posterity." Lauren informed them. "I stopped there on my way here to collect it."

"Wait, if they had the Red Morpher, then maybe they have the others!" Mike called out. "We have two more Rangers waiting right there! Terry and Serena!"

"I'm afraid the other morphers were destroyed in the attack." Lauren said a little dejectedly as she clipped her morpher to the back of her belt. "I brought this because...well...I guess I wanted to finish what dad started with the morpher he used. It just felt right, you know?"

"I guess I can understand that." Mike answered. "Hey Antonio, those hotdogs smell great, how about throwing one this way?"

"Now, how about we talk more about our girls' day out?" Emily asked, bringing the conversation back to something that would hopefully make Lauren a little more comfortable. "We can do it tomorrow!"

From the door, Ji watched them with Brenda as Jayden finally came out of his room. He approached Ji slowly.

"Have the arrangements been made?" Jayden asked him.

"They have. A messenger will bring the keys by tomorrow." Ji told him. "Are you sure?"

"We both know this has to happen." Jayden answered sadly, looking over to where his friends and his sister were getting to know each other.

"But...don't you think this will just make things harder?" Brenda asked him. "Lauren just got here!"

"I don't want to do this either, but we know it has to happen." Jayden answered. He smiled, seeing Lauren laughing with Emily and the others. Judging by Mike's reaction, the joke was at his expense. "Let them enjoy tonight. There's no reason they can't enjoy this while it lasts. They're going to have enough to deal with soon enough."


	5. Jayden's Decision

The following morning began early for Lauren. She was always awake early. Throughout her life, she had been watched over by a succession of attendants and sensei. She was never allowed to stay in any one place for more than four months at a time, largely due to concerns that allowing her to stay anywhere for too long would increase the risk that a Nighlock would figure out that there was someone else with strong Fire Symbol Power in the world and target her.

It also made it hard for her to form any real form of emotional attachments, something she was sure many of her former guardians intended. It was always made clear that they were there to help her train, help her learn, and to lay down their lives to defend her while she escaped if necessary. They were not her family, and they weren't her friends. She didn't have time for either, that much was made perfectly clear. The only times she had been allowed a long lie, or a day off was when she was genuinely too sick or too hurt to stand under her own power, something that was in and of itself somewhat subjective depending on her current sensei. One had made her get back to training three days after breaking a bone in her foot.

Dressed in a red track-suit with white stripes down the sleeves and arms, zipped up to the neck, she started to tie her trainers. She was still looking forward to the "girl's day out" that Mia and Emily had promised her. She didn't really know what people did outside of training, and while she was curious to find out, she had only really agreed to go so she could get to know the other girls better. Ji had said something to her about Mike being obsessed with playing games on a Zeee or Mee or...well, she wasn't quite sure, but she thought it might be an idea to ask him how to play just so she understood what he was about.

For now though, just as she had done for years, she intended to go for a run to warm up before training. She had been told that training started at 8:00, which she would have considered late. It was already 6:00, which was much more in line with what she was used to. She didn't intend to comment on how they trained, she figured they just did things differently, but it did afford her an opportunity. They didn't know her; they didn't know what she could do. If she did what they did, and at least half as much again on top, perhaps she could earn some respect from them. Maybe they could see her as being worthy to depose Jayden as their leader.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and immediately snapped into action, driving her elbow backwards, connecting with someone's ribs with a solid blow, before grabbing the arm on her shoulder, and threw the assailant over her shoulder. As she completed the move she had practiced more times than she could possibly remember, pinning him down with her shin, she saw that it was Kevin.

"Oh...Kevin, I'm...I'm sorry!" Lauren stammered, helping him up. "You startled me."

"Yeah, I kind of got that." He wheezed, starting to try and get his breath back. "Nice flip by the way. You really caught me unawares."

"I'm sorry...it's just...a lot of my sensei would launch surprise attacks to keep me on my toes." She explained. "I'm not used to being taken by surprise unless it's an attack."

"Well, remind me to encourage Mike to surprise you." Kevin chuckled, stroking his ribcage. "Maybe you can knock some sense into that thick head of his." Lauren laughed and shook her head a little. Kevin just looked at her a little curiously.

"Sorry, it's just...sometimes, the way you talk about Mike...you really remind me of Baron." She told him. Kevin smiled hearing this. A lot of people had commented on it, but in the last couple of years, the only people he'd met that knew his dad were Jayden and Ji. Jayden had been five when Kevin's dad left the house for the last time, so he didn't remember much about the other Rangers' parents. Ji had talked about their parents once or twice, but this was the first time in a long time anyone else had talked about his dad.

"Say, you're dressed for a run?" Kevin asked her. She just nodded her head.

"I always go for a run around this time." She told him. "I usually run for a couple of miles, do some swimming, have some breakfast and a short rest, and then head for the dojo."

"That's...that's spooky!" Kevin admitted. "That's exactly what I do!"

"I'm kind of surprised the others don't to be honest." Lauren commented. "I mean, that's pretty much the first couple of chapters in 'The..."

"...Art of the Samurai Life!" Kevin concluded as she looked to him smiling. "That book's practically my bible! I'd read it cover-to-cover twenty times by the time I was ten!"

Lauren got up, and gestured to the door.

"Well, would you like to have a little company today?" She asked him. Kevin just bowed his head a little reverently.

"It would be an honour." Kevin told her. "I can't remember the last time I had company on one of my runs. I usually throw in a little swim if I have time, there's a great creek not far from here."

"Wow, you really are just like Baron aren't you?" Lauren asked him. Kevin followed her out the door.

"So, what can you tell me about him?" He asked. "What was he like?"

"Tell you what, how about you tell me about Jayden and I'll tell you a few things about your dad?" She answered as they headed off.

"I think I could manage that." Kevin called after her as he ran to join her.

In a wood, a little way from the city, Dayu was wandering around, searching desperately for Dekker. She had lost track of him a little while after he had helped the Rangers destroy Serrator. Hunting through every one of the places she could think of that she had ever seen him, she was quickly running out of options.

Slumping down onto a rock, she held her head in her hands and struggled to contain her tears. She had guided him to destroy Serrator. She had been desperate to have him destroy the manipulative Nighlock that had cursed both of them to this existence, but it hadn't ended their torment. The curse of Urumasa, the curse he had placed on them, turning them both into Nighlock, was still in full effect. She hadn't expected Serrator's evil to be gone so easily. He would never allow their suffering to end simply because he was now dead. That only meant one thing. Dekker was back to his original plan. He would seek out the ultimate duel, and end their curse when someone was able to destroy him for good.

She looked down as there was a little red glow, and a Furry Wort, her pet, rolled out of the Gap, coming to rest by her feet.

"At least I can find one Dekker." She commented as she picked it up, holding it.

"Found him, found him." It chattered. Dayu looked to it, her heart stopping for a moment. She had sent the Wort Dekker to find his namesake, hoping that by splitting up, they could search more quickly. "Follow, Follow!"

Dayu put the creature down, at which it rolled into the Gap. Doing as she was told, she went to the gap and disappeared.

Back at the Shiba House, Lauren and Kevin arrived back, finding the others were now awake, and having breakfast. Seeing them coming in, Mia waved them over.

"Hey Lauren, I see my fiancé dragged you along for his morning run." Mia commented as Kevin came to her side, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. She recoiled a little.

"Whoa, remember the rule. No touching until you have a shower." Mia responded, shuddering a little. "I'll have your muesli weighed out by then."

"Now, that's love." Mike chuckled as he looked to Lauren. "Can you believe this guy still weighs out exactly...?"

"25 grams of muesli, a piece of fruit and a glass of OJ." She interrupted him. "I'm going for a shower too, would you mind measuring out the same for me?"

"No problem." Mia answered as Lauren and Kevin went their separate ways to get showered and changed.

"Wow, I never thought I'd see the day." Mike stated as his mouth hung open. "God made two of them? If I were you Mia, I'd keep an eye on that."

"Mike, that's not nice!" Emily reprimanded him, smacking him across the back of the head. "I'm sure Mia has nothing to worry about."

"I'm not insecure Mike, I don't mind." Mia answered as she finished her own breakfast, before heading to measure out the other two breakfasts. It was one of the little eccentricities that Kevin just hadn't grown out of. She knew it was down to how seriously he took the Samurai lifestyle. Having talked to Lauren for some time the previous night, she figured she was pretty much the same way.

"Say, where's Jayden?" Mike mumbled through a mouthful of his own cereal, some sugar-loaded, chocolate covered affair that Kevin had told him several times wasn't the kind of thing he should be eating.

"He said he wanted to have breakfast in our room." Antonio said with a shrug. "He's still a little groggy."

"I'm not surprised." Terry chipped in, peeling a banana. "The burns alone should probably have him on bed-rest for a week."

"I thought he'd put in a bit more effort though." Emily commented, looking a little concerned. "Did none of you guys notice he was really quiet all last night?"

"Emily, that's just how he is." Serena reminded her. "Besides, you know how you were when I came here. He hasn't seen Jayden in fifteen years! I'm sure she doesn't know what to..."

"Lauren!" Mia called out as she came back in with the breakfast, seeing Kevin and Lauren coming into the room. She knew that Lauren would be aware there would be conversations behind her back, while the team figured out where everyone stood with each other, but there was a difference between KNOWING those conversations were taking place, and actually HEARING them. The others just cut off the conversation. "That's...um..."

"That's really interesting training gear." Emily concluded. Lauren was dressed in very traditional clothing, making her look really out of place compared to the others. She had long, black trousers, with huge, wide legs that went almost all the way to the floor. It was a deliberate design, intended to hide the user's footwork, making it harder to anticipate their movements. The design had fallen out of favour in most Martial Arts, but it was still common in Aikido. Her top had long sleeves, and was thicker than those of the Rangers, and a deep blue, with the Shiba Family crest on the left breast. Mike leaned in, whispering to Mia.

"She's wearing your man's colour." He commented. Mia just gave him a death glare, before looking back to Lauren.

"I guess you don't have one of our uniforms." She surmised. "I'm sure Ji could have some..."

"It's fine." Lauren rushed out quickly, adjusting her jacket as she sat down. The others were all looking at her. "Um...I'll be fine. The retreat gave me these. They work just fine."

"Alright." Mia answered, handing Lauren her bowl of muesli. "Anyway, we normally train for two hours in the morning, and another two in the afternoon before dinner."

"That sounds good." Lauren answered, beginning her breakfast. It was about what she was used to, if anything, she trained a bit more, with the remainder of her time being spent either reading, practicing her symbols, or otherwise studying.

"Serena, Mia and I were going to take you into town after morning training." Emily informed her. "We figured we'd take you shopping, and then go for some lunch."

"Shopping?" Lauren asked them. "What for?"

"You know, clothes and stuff." Mia told her. Lauren just looked at them curiously.

"I have clothes." She told them. Serena just put a hand on her shoulder.

"We saw your bag." Serena stated. "You can't have had much in there."

"Three outfits, that's enough to have something to wear while the others are being cleaned." Lauren answered with a shrug. Mia rolled her eyes.

"We have SO much to teach this one." Mia chuckled. Lauren continued to eat, talking with the others. It seemed a lot easier this morning, and she could tell the others were making an effort. She was too, and it seemed like she was making some progress. Kevin appeared to admire how similar their work-ethic was, and how dedicated she was to her training. Mia, Emily and Serena were falling all over themselves to accommodate her and include her. Mike was a little more reserved, but didn't seem to have a problem with her, and she was sure that if she tried to show an interest in that game Ji had mentioned, he would come around.

Antonio cared about her brother a lot, she could tell that from the amount of time he spent in his room taking care of him. She was glad that Jayden had such a good friend...had a whole family around him. It would make it easier when he told the others that he was stepping aside to let Lauren lead them instead of him. She couldn't wait to fight by his side, and with the team.

From the door to his room, Jayden watched them all talking. Ji and Brenda were in the room with him.

"So, the messenger..."

"He arrived earlier." Ji told him. He handed Jayden a key. "It's a cabin, just by the lake in the woods. The letter will tell you how to get there."

"So, you're just going to go?" Brenda asked him. He shook his head.

"They need to understand why." Jayden told him. "Lauren's doing well at fitting in. A lot better than I did with them at first."

He then went to his dresser, where a polished, wooden box was sitting. It had the Black Box and all of the Power Disks in his collection in it. He took a long look at them, dragging his fingertips across them, thinking about the stories they could all tell if they could talk. He could remember every time he had used each of them vividly.

"Jayden, the Nighlock have been after you for all this time. They know who you are." Brenda reminded him. "Don't you think it'd be safer...?"

"I'll take my Samuraizer with me. I won't exactly be defenceless." He interjected. "But the others have followed me all this time. They've all looked to me as the leader, and you know that won't change overnight. No matter how many times we tell them, they'll treat Lauren as just another Ranger, not as their leader."

"But..."

"I know on paper it sounds good having an extra Ranger, but you've never been in a battlefield situation." Jayden reminded her. "There needs to be one single plan, one direction. Confusion, any kind of confusion as to what people are meant to be doing, or where they're meant to go, any confusion at all could cost someone their life. We can't allow that to happen."

Just then, they heard a knock on the door. Jayden opened it, finding Emily and Terry standing in front of him.

"Emily, isn't it time for training?" Jayden asked her. She just nodded.

"They won't miss us for a couple of minutes." Terry assured him.

"We'll just give you a bit of room." Ji stated, as he and Brenda left the room. Jayden closed the door.

"So, what's on your mind?" Jayden asked them.

"We know." Emily began. Jayden just looked at her a little curiously. How could they know? He hadn't told any of them yet. He didn't want to ruin their chance to get to know Lauren before he told them. He didn't want to do anything to jeopardise the handover. They needed to show Lauren the same loyalty and trust that they showed him.

"What?" Jayden asked in response.

"It's been pretty obvious. We've both noticed you've been pretty quiet about the whole Lauren thing." Terry told him.

"You forget, we're both in the same situation." Emily told him. Jayden just shook his head.

"OK, now I'm confused." He answered. "What do you mean?"

"We're both second-kids too." Emily reminded him. "We both know what it's like to be the second-place for the position."

Jayden almost breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't thought about that part. They hadn't figured out what he was going to tell them. They thought that his issue was in the fact that they now knew he was also the second choice. He was never meant to take on his father's role. It was only circumstance that had led to him having that responsibility.

"It doesn't make you any weaker in our eyes." Terry assured him. "I took Mia's place for a little over a month, and it never mattered to any of you. You never let that affect how you treated me."

"Yeah, I still remember that prank war we started by hazing you." Emily giggled, before looking back to Jayden. "It never affected how any of you saw me either. Hell, by the time Serena COULD come back, you all felt confident enough in me that she decided to let me carry on."

"And you have your own morpher too." Terry reminded him. "Serena and I know that the worst thing about being the other kid is having to sit and watch the people you care about run out to risk their lives while you sit at home. You don't have to, you can join her."

Jayden didn't say anything. He just nodded in response. Terry put a hand on his shoulder.

"I also know what separation does to a relationship." Terry told him. "I hadn't even spoken to Mia in two years before I came here. Lauren's been out of your life for a long time, but I've seen how she looks at you. I know she's stoked to be back in your life. I needed to win Mia over. You at least don't have that hurdle to get over. Just...don't let the nerves stop you from talking to her. It'll get easier."

"Thanks guys." Jayden answered. "I really appreciate it."

"So...you won't hide in your room anymore?" Emily asked him. He just smiled.

"You don't need to worry about that." He answered. "Hey, look after Lauren when you go out. I don't want Mia terrifying her by going all shopaholic on her."

As they left, Jayden closed over the door. He really did appreciate their intentions in coming to speak to him, to ease his fears about feeling out of place now Lauren had come to the house, but it showed him something that he had feared all along, the very reason he knew he had to do this. They were so loyal to him; they had come to him, not to Lauren.

He grabbed a backpack, and started to pack some clothes. He knew that Ji's friends would have had the cabin prepared for him, and he would have the essentials waiting for him, so he only needed a few things.

He hated this, leaving his friends and his sister, but it had to be done. In the field, they needed to follow one leader, one plan, or dangerous mistakes could be made. He couldn't take the chance that in the middle of a battle, they would look to him or concentrate on him instead of Lauren. When lives were at stake, any mistake could cost them dearly.

With a sigh, he looked back to the box one last time, and, closed over the lid, which had the Shiba Family crest inlaid in gold on it, closing that chapter of his life.

"There can only be one Red Ranger." Jayden sighed. "It's Lauren's burden now."


	6. Girls' Day Out

With morning training over, everyone had some time to do as they saw fit. The girls had all arranged to go out into town, and were just getting ready. Lauren was sitting in the Living Room, waiting for the others. Mike came through, flipping over the couch, with a videogame in his hands.

"Thank you !" He said with glee as he opened the box and took out the game. "Prepare to die all over again Zombies!"

Lauren put down the book she was reading, and turned her attention to the screen. She still couldn't understand there being a TV in the house. There never had been when her father was alive, and she had rarely had access to one in her travels. Her attendants always ensured her focus was always on her training, and so she was never allowed to have anything that distracted from that. Of course, some of her attendants had families of their own, so whenever she was with one that had kids, they would occasionally let her watch their TVs when their parents weren't looking.

She watched as the screen came on, and the entry sequence played. It reminded her somewhat of the cartoons she used to watch, but took a sudden turn when all of a sudden, some monster stumbled onto the screen and started attacking humans, only to get cut down by a human carrying a chainsaw. The title of the game splattered across the screen in blood.

"Pretty cool huh?" Mike asked as he noticed Lauren was looking at the screen, her eyes open wide in a mixture of horror and awe.

"This is that game Ji told me about?" She asked him. He nodded.

"Well, one of them." Mike explained. "I have quite a few games for my games consoles."

Lauren just nodded, her eyes still on the screen as Mike cycled through the options, getting ready to start his first game. He saw Lauren still staring.

"Would you like me to show you how to play?" Mike asked her, offering her the handsets. Lauren just looked to the controller, and the connected nunchuk, before looking back to Mike. "Antonio plays quite a bit, and I can usually get Emily to play, but most of the others only play every now and then."

"Maybe another time." Lauren answered as Mia, Emily and Serena came into the room. "It looks like we're ready to head out."

Mia, Emily and Serena all just stared at Lauren.

"What?" She asked.

"You...um...you're wearing the same clothes as yesterday." Emily pointed out. Lauren just frowned.

"No I'm not." She answered, looking to the others. "I change my clothes every day."

"But...it looks like exactly the same outfit." Serena remarked.

"Yeah, all my clothes are like this." Lauren explained. "I have three gis, three tracksuits, and three casual outfits."

"And...all of them look the same as each other?" Mia asked. Lauren just shrugged.

"It means I don't waste time deciding what to wear." Lauren explained. Mia looked to the others and sighed.

"We so have to take this girl shopping." She stated. "Come on Lauren, we'll show you what people do for fun around here."

"I call driver!" Emily called out. Serena and Mia just stopped dead, grabbing her.

"Emily, you don't have a licence." Mia reminded her.

"I have a learner's permit." Emily reminded her. "I can drive as long as there's a licensed driver in the car."

"Yes, but we want Lauren to live long enough to see her first battle." Mia teased her.

"I regularly drive around a sixty foot ape." Emily grumbled. "I think I can handle a Cadillac SUV."

"Well, I remember how traumatised Kevin was after the last lesson he took you on." Mia answered. "Besides, it's not my fault you don't have a licence yet. Who doesn't have a licence by your age?"

"Um...I don't." Serena told her. "You know...terminally ill until a year ago and all that."

"I don't either." Lauren answered. "What? I never learned!"

"God I hate this house." Mia sighed, grabbing the keys and leading them out the door. Mike just shook his head and laughed as they left.

"They don't know what they're missing." He chuckled. "Now, time to carve up some zombies!"

Over at Central High School, Spike and Vicky walked to their lockers, holding hands. In the couple of weeks since their first date, they had finally gotten round to announcing to their friends that they were officially dating. They were a little disappointed to know that all their friends already knew, having guessed by the way they acted around each other, but in the end it did make things a little easier to know that they didn't have to hide anything.

They arrived to find Jimmy and Cody reading comics by their lockers. Spike looked to them and furrowed his brows.

"Um...not that we mind, but aren't your lockers down the hall?" Spike asked.

"Yeah, but so are theirs." Cody answered. There were two of them missing, meaning that Spike could probably guess what was going on.

"Melanie and Mal?" He asked. Jimmy put down his copy of Ultimate X-men and sighed.

"I'm surprised you didn't hear them from the parking lot." He answered, gesturing down the hallway. "They've been yelling at each other for like twenty minutes!"

Spike and Vicky headed down the hall, finding Mal standing by his locker. This was unusual in and of itself. He was still going through physio for the injury he sustained in the hostage situation. However, now he was standing by his locker, with his crutches nowhere to be seen. As they got closer, they could see Melanie flailing, obviously far from happy.

"Mal, you have to listen to me!" She screamed at him. "This is..."

"This is my decision to make, not yours!" He interrupted her. "I'm sick of talking about this!"

"Well that's tough shit, because I'm going to keep talking about this until you see some sense!" She told him. Spike arrived, getting between them.

"OK guys, why don't we settle this down a bit." Spike interrupted them. "Let's just calm down..."

"Spike, your mom may have been a negotiator, but that doesn't give you the right to get involved in everyone else's problems." Mal snapped at him. Spike just looked between them, before looking to Melanie.

"The genius here decided he's going to try out for the musical today." She informed Spike. Spike just looked to Mal, looking a bit concerned.

"Are you serious?" He asked. Mal just rolled his eyes.

"Of course I'm serious; this is a huge opportunity for me!" He told them. "Do you have any idea how important it is for me to pad out my college applications?"

"We're all worried about that Mal, I get that." Spike assured him. "But you know..."

"I know what my own body can take!" Mal protested. "Look, I can do this..."

"You really think you're up to a demanding dance number?" Spike asked him. "Then tell me why you're carrying all your weight on your right leg."

"Think what you want." Mal muttered, before taking out a bottle of pills. He swallowed a few of them, washing them down with some water.

"That's how he's planning on getting through this." Melanie snapped, throwing her hands up. "Choke down on painkillers so his leg doesn't just collapse under him."

"Mal, that's not a good idea." Spike told him. "Painkillers do exactly that. They numb the pain, they don't repair the injury. If you start jumping up on down on a knee that's held together by threads..."

"I know what I'm doing!" Mal interrupted him. "There's a production this year, one during summer break, and one next year. If I get good parts in all three, I'm a shoe in for any dramatic arts..."

"And if you tear your knee in half now, you're not only going to miss all of those productions, but you're risking permanently crippling yourself." Spike said, trying to reason with him. "Look, at least listen to what your doctors..."

"They all say the same thing, give it time, give it time. Well guess what? I don't have a lot of time! Iain's been gunning for my part...he dances like a constipated rhino! If it wasn't for this knee, he'd never even be considered." He answered. "I've got this."

"Mal, we're not going to let you ruin your life." Spike warned him as he closed his locker and started to walk towards the drama department. "If you go ahead with this..."

"If you tell anyone about this, then we're finished!" Mal said coldly, glaring at both Spike and Melanie. "Trust me."

As he walked away, Melanie just turned to Spike, tears starting to form in her eyes. He just shook his head.

"I'm sure he doesn't mean that." Spike told her. Melanie just shook her head.

"You don't know how important all this is to him." She answered sadly. "I don't want to lose him, but this..."

"We'll think of something." Spike told her, hugging his friend. "We have to."

Over at the mall, Lauren was finding she actually enjoyed her time with the others. She had bought herself a denim jacket, just to fit in with the others as they shopped, but she didn't really understand the obsession they had with the pastime. It just seemed so...pointless.

"Hey Lauren, come here a second." Emily called over, waving her over. Lauren came across, smiling a little. Of all the Rangers, Emily seemed to be the one doing the most to try and include her in the group. As she got to Emily's side, the younger girl showed her a display of some jewellery. It was nothing too fancy, just some bangles and necklaces. Lauren looked at it a little curiously.

"I know Mia can be a little overwhelming with the whole shopping thing." She said a little quietly. Mia was not far away, checking out some jackets, so she didn't want her to hear. "But if you're not ready to think of whole new outfits yet, maybe you'd try some of this. Any outfit can be completely changed with a few accessories."

Emily looked at some of the items, before deciding on something, taking it off the rack. It was a bracelet, which looked to be just about the right size.

"Here, give me your wrist." Emily told her. "Come on."

Lauren placed her hand in Emily's, at which the Yellow Ranger opened the clasp, opening the bracelet at the hinge. As she started to close it around Lauren's wrist though, the Red Ranger snatched her hand away, with a sharp intake of breath.

Looking at her, Emily could see that Lauren's eyes were wide, as if she was in a full blown panic.

"Lauren?" Emily asked her. "Lauren, is everything alright?" Before she could get an answer though, Mia and Serena came over, carrying their purchases and joking with each other.

"Hey, have you two finished here?" Mia asked them. Emily could see that Lauren didn't seem to want to talk about what had just happened.

"Um...I guess so." Emily answered.

"Great, because there's a new coffee place I wanted to try out." Serena told them. "Come on Lauren, it's just this way."

Emily hung the bracelet back up on the rack and followed on, a little worried about what had happened. She didn't understand what she had done wrong. Why had Lauren reacted the way she had?"

Back at Central High School, the auditions were well underway. Mal was waiting for his turn, cursing his luck at having chosen such a high number. His argument in the hall had cost him some time, meaning he had arrived later to the audition. He just hoped his painkillers would last long enough to get him through the audition. Melanie was also waiting for her audition, having also arrived late. She needed to compose herself after the fight, but given the way she was looking at him, he could see she was still angry.

"Berkowsky, Malcolm!" The drama teacher called out. Mal got up, feeling a little twinge in his knee. He walked out onto the stage.

"I see you're auditioning for the part of Bernardo." The drama teacher commented. "Mal, are you sure you're up to...?"

His words tailed off as the door to the back of the theatre opened. He watched as his friends all filed into the theatre, taking up seats in the back row. Mal tensed up as he saw this. They had been getting on his case about this audition all morning, he had warned them but it seemed they were there to ruin it for him. However, as they took a seat, nowhere near the drama teacher, he started to think that maybe they had listened, that they were just there to support him.

"As I was saying, your knee injury is a concern." The drama teacher continued. "Are you sure..."

"It's fine." Mal told him.

"Then just begin when you're ready." He answered, starting the music. Mal launched into the routine. He did a good job, having adapted it slightly to put as little strain on his left knee as possible. After a while, the drama teacher turned off the music.

"That's should be enough." He stated.

"But...Mr Edwards, I'm not finished..."

"I said, that should be enough." Mr Edwards reiterated. Mal just looked a little dejected, before heading back to the waiting area. Melanie reached out to him, but he brushed her off. He was sure that his audition had to have gone badly, why else would it have ended so abruptly? The last thing he needed to hear was her pretending to comfort him when she had to be ecstatic about his chance being taken away from him.

Back at the mall, Serena and Emily found a table, while Mia and Lauren went to the counter to order coffee for them all. Lauren just stared blankly at the menu above the counter.

"Don't tell me you've never had coffee." Mia stated. Lauren just glared at her.

"Of course I know about coffee." Lauren said sternly. "Of course, it was always just black or white. How many ways are there to have coffee?"

Mia just shook her head in disbelief and looked behind the counter. There was one guy there, and he was busy reading a book of some description. She just waved to attract his attention.

"Hello!" She called out. He smiled as he came across, placing his book down on the counter. He was a little taller than them, and had a healthy physique, concealed beneath the black t-shirt, bearing the logo of the coffee house. He had long hair, tied back into a pony-tail, and a friendly smile.

"OK, what can I get you?" He asked.

"Alright, one banana shake, one latte with mint syrup, one cappuccino and..." She then looked to Lauren, who was not paying attention. "Lauren..."

"Confucius." She commented, looking to the book on the counter. The guy there just smiled.

"Yeah, I'm doing a Masters in Philosophy at Panorama U." He informed her. "So...what would you like?"

"Um...I don't really know." Lauren stammered, looking through the options. "I've never been to a place like this before."

"You've never been to a coffee house before?" He asked her.

"Not like this." Mia interjected. "She's kind of a flat white girl."

"Well, maybe I can help." He suggested. "I've been working at this place so long, I usually have a pretty good idea what people will like."

He inspected Lauren for a moment, making her feel a little uncomfortable. She shifted a little uneasily, unable to look at him directly, before he snapped his fingers.

"Mocha!" He declared loudly. "I'll bet my days' tips you'll love a mocha."

"Um...alright." Lauren said, hiding her face a little as she looked to Mia.

"I'll bring your order over." He told them. "Just go and have a seat."

As they went to sit down, Lauren took her seat, at which Mia sat with Serena and whispered something to her. They both just laughed.

"What?" Lauren asked them. "Seriously, what? Why are you laughing?"

"We'll explain it to you later." Serena told her, patting her on the shoulder. "Anyway, there's something we were planning on asking you."

"Um...alright?" Lauren asked.

"What were our parents like at the house?" Emily asked her. Lauren just looked at her curiously.

"Didn't they talk about it?" Lauren asked them.

"Sure, but you know what people are like. They tend to leave out the good stuff." Mia clarified. "You know, all the embarrassing stuff that makes them look bad."

"So, what can you tell us?" Serena asked, looking interested. Lauren just smiled.

Back at Central High School, the auditions were over, and the kids were starting to leave to let Mr Edwards make his decisions and prepare the cast list. Mal got up, walking to the door, where his friends were waiting.

"You were really good." Spike told him.

"Don't patronise me." Mal snapped at him. "I know this is what you wanted."

"Mal, none of us are against you." Vicky assured him. "We just don't want you to get hurt."

"Whatever." Mal muttered. "Just...just leave me alone."

"Mr Berkowsky!" Mr Edwards called out. "Can I speak to you for a moment?"

"We'll see you at lunch." Spike told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You really were good."

As they left, Mal just headed back to Mr Edwards.

"Look, I know..."

"Even with only one leg, you were the best performer out there." Mr Edwards told him. "Unfortunately, I can't let you go on if..."

"Mr Edwards, you don't have to sugar-coat it. I know my audition..."

"I never lie about dancing." Mr Edwards told him. "You managed to adapt the routine to stay off your bad leg, and put on the best performance. If your knee just healed a little faster..."

He looked around, before gesturing Mal in closer.

"I'm sure you can find someone in the athletics department that could help you find something." He continued. Mal was a little confused for a moment, before he realised what he meant.

"Wait, you mean...?"

"It's not like athletics where you're cheating anyone is it?" He asked. He handed him a piece of paper. "Besides, when was the last time you heard of a drama department getting tested? Find the guy on this paper. He'll be able to get you a little something that should help your knee along."

"Mr Edwards, I don't..."

"You know as well as I do how the arts work. Opportunities don't come along every day." Mr Edwards told him. "Tom Selleck was originally approached for the part of Indiana Jones and he lost out because he had better things to do. We all know how that worked out for Harrison Ford."

He got up, patting Mal on the shoulder.

"How much do you want this?" He asked him. "I'll type up my cast list on Friday."

With that, he left Mal alone. He looked to the name on the paper and bit his lip.


	7. Jayden's Announcement

Lauren and the girls had come back from their day out. Mia, as was to be expected, had a huge haul of bags hanging from each arm. Emily and Serena had smaller hauls, each of them only having a few bags, while Lauren was definitely the odd one out, having only a single bag. What she did have though, was a tray full of take-away coffee cups.

"Hey, you're back." Mike commented, pausing his game. The packets of chips on the couch next to him betrayed the fact he hadn't gotten up for lunch. He had basically not moved from the couch since they had left. The shot on the screen had paused with a zombie's head exploding from a shotgun blast. He went to them. "Hey Kevin, your fiancée beat mine again."

"Really Mia?" Kevin chuckled as he came through from the kitchen, shaking his head. "Don't you realise that every time you have a major splurge like this it just puts the wedding back? Those things are expensive."

"I know, but I was just trying to show Lauren a good time." She told him, kissing him softly. He just raised an eyebrow, gesturing to Lauren's one bag.

"Yeah, it looks like shopping is really her thing." He teased her.

"Hey, coffee!" Mike called out, reaching for the tray in Lauren's hand. She pulled it back, looking a little annoyed.

"They're mine!" She told him. Mike and Kevin both looked at her.

"ALL OF THEM?" They chorused.

"Yeah, Lauren decided she really likes mocha." Emily giggled, nudging Lauren slightly.

"Yeah, but four?" Mike asked. "Between caffeine and sugar, she'll be bouncing off the walls until December!"

"I'm not so sure it's the coffee she liked though." Serena continued to tease Lauren. "I think it might have had more to do with the guy behind the counter."

"Oh yeah, what was his name again?" Mia asked as they noticed Lauren becoming more and more uncomfortable. "Jeffrey? Jamie?"

"Jeremy." Lauren muttered under her breath, shoving the tray into Mike's hands. "You want them so badly, here! I'm going to get changed for training!"

"Oh come on Lauren, we don't mean any harm." Serena assured her, grabbing her around the shoulders. "We tease each other all the time; it's one of the ways we show we care."

"Yeah, Mike rips on me all the time." Kevin assured her. "You only need to worry when we stop messing with each other. That only happens when one of us is REALLY upset with somebody."

Lauren saw Jayden coming into the room and made her way over to her brother, sulking a little.

"I see the shopping trip went well." He surmised. Lauren nodded her head slightly.

"Mia introduced me to mocha." She informed him. "And I even got a new denim jacket, look!"

"A new jacket!" Jayden said with a smile, inspecting it. "Exactly like the other three you have."

"You can't expect miracles overnight." Lauren replied with a shrug. It was only then that she noticed Jayden carrying a backpack. "Jayden, what's going on?"

"There's...something I need to talk to you all about." He announced. Ji came in with Antonio and Brenda.

"What is it Jay?" Antonio asked, taking a seat. "Ji said you had something really important to talk about."

"Yeah, I do." Jayden told him. "All of you sit down for a moment."

The team all looked around each other, not knowing what was happening. Sitting down, they prepared to listen. Jayden put down his bag, and started to pace, trying to collect his thoughts.

"Guys, you're more to me than just a team. You're more than even friends to me. You're family. I know I've not always been the easiest to live with, or to understand, but you accepted me, and you respected me. I've come to care for all of you a great deal over the time we've known each other, and I care about each and every one of you." He began.

"Um...OK?" Emily responded.

"It also means so much to me that you've all gone out of your way to accept Lauren into the team." He told them, gesturing to his sister. "I know it can't have been easy coming to terms with the secret. Even I can't believe that this has happened myself. I've always wanted my big sis back."

"OK, am I the only one here feeling like there's a 'but' coming?" Mike asked. Jayden just nodded.

"I'm afraid you're right about that Mike." Jayden carried on. "As you know, Lauren can do something I can never do. She can create the sealing symbol. She's the one that can end the war for good."

"Yeah, we know that." Mia stated, patting Lauren on the shoulder. "We can't wait until she joins the six of us..."

"Five." Jayden interrupted her. "Lauren's the true head of the Shiba Clan. Leading the team was always her birthright. It's always been her responsibility. I was only ever meant to lead while she was away."

"Wait, what?" Antonio asked. "You...you're leaving?"

"Yeah, what gives?" Mike demanded. "This isn't like Emily and Serena or Terry and Mia. You BOTH have morphers!"

"Mike's right, there's no reason you can't both be on the team!" Emily agreed. "You can't just go!"

"It's always been Lauren's place." Jayden told them. "Having me on the team will just lead to confusion."

"Jayden..."

"Lauren, you've studied the same tactical books I have. You know the importance of clarity in battle." Jayden interrupted his sister. "You know that it's vital that there's always one plan. That means there can only be one leader."

"But...I just got you back." Lauren replied, a tear starting to run down her face. Jayden hugged her tightly, before releasing her. He wiped away her tear with his thumb.

"I hate this too, but the safety of the team and the mission are vital." He told her. "You know that any confusion can lead to dangerous mistakes being made."

He looked to the rest of his friends, holding a hand out to Ji.

"I can't take the chance that you'll look to me in battle." He concluded. "Lauren is your leader now. There can be only one Red Ranger."

Ji handed him the box containing the Black Box and the Power Disks. Jayden then looked to Lauren and handed her the box.

"We'll be together again once this is over." He assured her. "Until then, these will serve you well. Believe in your team. They're the best team anyone could hope for."

Jayden then picked up his bag, and prepared to leave, stopping before his friends one last time.

"Take care of each other. You have to follow Lauren now."

He went down the line, shaking hands with each of them in turn. Only Kevin didn't shake his hand, standing with his arms crossed defiantly. Jayden just sighed.

"Serve Lauren as you've served me." He instructed them. "I'll be back one day."

With that, he walked out the door, leaving the Shiba House.

The Rangers stood, dumbfounded, unable to speak. Lauren stood, holding the wooden box, staring at it in disbelief. She understood what Jayden meant, but that didn't make it any easier to accept. She had only just gotten her little brother back after all this time, and yet only a couple of days later, he was walking out of her life again, leaving her with the responsibility he had carried for two years. A couple of tears hit the surface of the box, and she took a deep breath before wiping her eyes, turning to the other Rangers.

They were all staring at her. She didn't have the same connection to the team that Jayden had. They had all tried to make her feel welcome, but it was only her second day in the house. It was one thing welcoming her into the house, and another to accept her onto the team. Following her would be another thing altogether. Looking at the looks on her team's faces, she felt more alone than ever.

"Um...go and get changed." She told them. "Training begins in ten minutes."

"What, that's it?" Mike asked incredulously.

"You heard her." Kevin replied coldly, getting up. "Training in ten minutes."

"What is wrong with you?" Mike demanded, rounding on Kevin. "Did you miss what just happened? Jayden, our leader...our FRIEND just walked out the door!"

"Lauren's the shogun." Kevin stated bluntly. "And she gave us an order."

"Look, guys, maybe we need time to..."

"We don't need time Emily, its simple. The shogun gave us an order, that's it!" Kevin snapped.

"Hey, don't talk to her like that!" Mike responded angrily, getting into Kevin's face.

"Fall in Mike." Kevin told him.

"What if I don't? What are you going to do, make me?" Mike demanded. Kevin shoved him aggressively, at which Mia, Emily, Serena and Terry all grabbed them, pulling them apart and trying to reason with them. Ji stood between them.

"That is ENOUGH!" Ji roared. "None of us are happy about this, but this was always Lauren and Jayden's call to make. The last thing we need is to start fighting among ourselves!"

He looked to Lauren, who was trembling, watching the scene unfolding. Just as she feared, the team might have been nice to her for her brother's sake, but accepting her leading them was another matter. She understood Jayden's thoughts on the matter, but his leaving created another fear in her that seemed to be realised. They blamed her for him leaving. She had never asked for this, but she had it whether she wanted it or not.

"May I suggest something?" Ji asked Lauren. "Perhaps it would be best if we take some time to..."

"Yes, of course." Lauren whispered quietly as she nodded her head sadly, struggling to keep her tears in check. "We'll train tomorrow. For now, do what you will. Ji, can you arrange something for dinner?"

"We will eat in an hour." He told the others, looking to Mike and Kevin in particular. "May I suggest we all use that time to relax and calm down?"

With that, Emily guided Mike away to his room. Mia was about to do the same with Kevin, but he just looked to Lauren, who nodded. He went with Mia to their room.

"Lauren." Antonio stated, coming over. He looked to her. "I...um..."

"I understand." She told him. "I would prefer he wasn't alone anyway, and I'm sure he could do with having you around."

She just looked up to him.

"You told me you share a room, but I noticed there was only one bed." She told him. "I'm sheltered, but I'm not stupid."

"I'll still answer my Samuraizer." He assured her. "I'll leave the Octozord and Clawzord here."

"Thank you." She answered. Terry just left the room quietly. Serena though waited for a moment. She came across to Lauren, looking her up and down.

"If you want to talk, you know where I am." She assured her, heading to her room. Lauren appreciated the offer. Serena was the closest to being in the same situation as her. Lauren just looked to Ji and gestured to her room.

"I'll just...um..." With that, she slinked away. Brenda wrapped her arms around Ji.

"Well...that went about as well as we could have expected." She remarked. "So, what do we do now?"

"We do all we can." Ji answered in a deep sigh. "We try to find a way to move on."

Elsewhere, Dayu appeared from a Gap, following her Furry Wort pet. She bent down, picking it up.

"So, what is it Dekker?" She asked the little creature. "Where...?"

She looked up, to see something that she never would have thought she would. It was the ruins of what was once Dekker's home. His father's home anyway, it had never been a home to Dekker. It was where he was beaten, abused and belittled his whole life as he desperately sought the approval of a family that would never accept him.

"Dekker?" She asked, seeing him standing in the ruins. She approached him, setting down his Furry Wort counterpart.

"This place, I never thought I'd be back here." Dekker began.

"I never thought I would either." Dayu answered as she approached him. "Why would you come here?"

"This is the source of my rage." Dekker explained. "This is where it all began. I used to believe it was only Urumasa's influence. My mind kept replaying what happened here, all the pain, all the suffering, driving my anger. Since Serrator's demise however, I've been feeling, remembering...more."

He turned slowly towards Dayu, looking to her.

"There was good here." He told her. She felt her heart beating faster as he approached her, looking to her with warmth in his eyes. "This isn't the same face, but when I look at you, when I'm in your presence, I know...I know what we once had."

Dayu felt warm tears starting to run down his face, hearing Dekker saying this. Her heart raced as he came close enough to touch her. She had hoped, prayed for so long to hear him say something almost exactly like this. Looking into his eyes, she could see that he was telling the truth. He really did remember.

"There was good here." She agreed. "It was the only thing that made life here bearable."

"It really was." Dekker told her. "It seemed right that we met here. This was where everything began. It was only natural that we lay things to rest here. This is where I begin the end."

"The end?" Dayu asked him. This was the part she was dreading. He cradled her face softly with his hand.

"Serrator is gone, but his curse lingers because of Urumasa." He reminded her. "There is only one way this can end."

"Dekker..."

"We have both suffered long enough." He told her. "The Red Ranger...the fake one..."

"Wait, what?" Dayu asked. "What do you mean?"

"Urumasa tells me all my opponents' secrets." Dekker told her. "The true head of the Shiba Clan has returned."

"The true...?" Dayu's words tailed off as she got a thought, a memory of an incident she had almost forgotten. "You mean the girl...?"

"With the responsibility of the world no longer on his shoulders, he can now finally focus on taking the threat of Urumasa from the world." Dekker told her. "This world has not been kind to us. Perhaps the next will be kinder."

With that, he drew her in, kissing her deeply. As the parted, she watched him walk away, knowing that he intended to march to his doom. Now was the time for her to enact the final part of her own plan. Things would end, but they would end on her terms.

Back in the States, Jayden was at the cabin Ji's friends had lent them. It had taken longer for him to set up the security symbols than it had to unpack his belongings. He had only taken a few clothes, knowing that the cabin would be set up with the essentials. Now though, he was dealing with another essential issue. Looking through the cupboards, he found a lot of tinned food. It was a natural choice since tinned food never spoiled. Opening a tin of beans, he emptied it into a pot, before lighting up the hob on the gas stove.

He heard a knock on the door, and summoned a Spin Sword to his hand. He approached the door slowly, unlocking it, but keeping the safety chain on. He knew it couldn't be a Nighlock, because he had set up security symbols, but that was no reason to take chances. No one should have known he was out here. Who would be calling?

He opened the door ajar, and looked outside, seeing Antonio standing outside.

"Welcome wagon!" He declared cheerfully. Jayden just sighed and opened the door, letting him see the Spin Sword. "What? Were you expecting a bear or something?"

"What are you doing here Antonio?" Jayden asked him. Antonio just shoved his way inside.

"I just thought I'd bring dinner roomie." He announced, coming in and dumping a backpack on the floor. He then put a bag from a Chinese take-away on the table.

"Roomie?" Jayden asked him. "Antonio, the team needs you."

"And they can call me." Antonio assured him, showing him his Samuraizer.

"Antonio..."

"It was your sister's idea actually." He said semi-truthfully. While Lauren had approved of the suggestion, it was Antonio's idea. "No offence, but I'm not that happy about my boyfriend wandering off on his own. I figure it'll help if I know you're safe."

"Antonio..."

"Your sister said she'd appreciate knowing you're not on your own too." Antonio interrupted him. "Look, I promise I'll still serve on the team, it just means that instead of the chipmunks and rabbits, you'll have me for company."

Jayden just laughed as Antonio started to unpack the dinner. He was so infuriating when he made up his mind. He knew that Antonio was staying whether he wanted him to or not. Of course, the fact was that he really, really did want him to. Some company did sound pretty good.

"Eat up while it's still warm." Antonio told him, setting up some wine glasses and pouring them each a glass. He set up a pair of candles, before rummaging around. "Um...sorry amigo, I forgot the matches. Would you mind...?"

Jayden pulled out his Samuraizer and lit the candles, before moving his pot off the hob, and turning off the gas.

"I guess I can have beans any time." He answered, sitting down. He picked up a wine glass. "I guess if I can't get rid of you, I may as well enjoy having you around. The cabin's nice and all. I guess we can think of this as...kind of a holiday."

"That's the spirit." Antonio replied, pulling his chair closer, lifting his wine glass, touching it to Jayden's. "No more running off, alright?"

"I promise." Jayden assured him, leaning in and kissing him. "I love you."

"I love you too." Antonio replied, opening the first tub of Won Ton soup. "So, where are the bowls?"


	8. A Hot Mess

On Master Xandred's Junk, Octoroo was pacing intently. His plan with Fiera had worked perfectly. He had never for one moment expected her to succeed. He had sold her out for his own agenda. He had known for some time now that the Shiba had been hoodwinking them all along. He hadn't passed his knowledge onto Serrator, or to Xandred, but he was sure that now he had engineered a way to secure his position in the new order once Xandred returned.

As he had intended, the Fire Flashers were devastating to anyone of the Shiba bloodline, but they didn't have the power to destroy anyone with power short of the one true head of the Shiba clan. Knowing that she was out there somewhere, waiting, hiding, he knew his only option for finding her, for drawing her into the open, was to take Jayden out of the picture. Fiera had succeeded in that, and in doing so had been destroyed, meaning he would never have to pay for his betrayal. Now, the new focus was on how to ensure by the time Xandred was ready to make his move, he could earn favour by ensuring that no one stood in his way. He would ensure that there would be no more threat of the Sealing Symbol.

As he looked around, he saw a Nighlock approaching him. It was a large, hulking creature, with huge muscles, with a dark metal breast plate hammered into place around its chest. It had a huge head, with square, uneven, yellow teeth in its mouth, and one eye on its forehead. A topknot came from the top of its head, and cascaded down its back.

"Ah, just the Nighlock I was looking for." Octoroo stated. "So, how do you feel about crushing the one true shogun of the Samurai Rangers?"

The creature just let a low rumble escape its throat, before leaving the room. Octoroo just shook his head as another Nighlock came out of a sealed cabin.

"Are you serious?" It asked him.

"Of course not, that idiot's useless for anything other than property damage." Octoroo assured him. "I just need something to keep the Rangers busy and sow further discord until I'm ready."

"What about the other Shiba?" The Nighlock asked him. Octoroo just smiled.

"Don't worry, he's being taken care of." He chortled. "Dayu and Dekker are finally useful for something."

"So, are we going to do this?" The Nighlock asked him.

"Patience Gigertox." Octoroo answered as he attached a couple of tentacles to the other Nighlock's skull. "Transferring life force is no small thing. It will give you the power to take care of the new Red Ranger, but it will leave me weaker."

"Just do it before I change my mind." Gigertox snapped. "From what I hear, this is far from peasant."

Back at the Shiba House, everyone woke and started to move slowly. After Jayden's departure, they had eaten dinner together, but it was still all rather quiet. It was more than a little uncomfortable to be honest, for Lauren especially.

In one night, she had gone from the new girl, to leader, to the one that had caused just short of an all-out brawl in the Living Room, all because of the secret her father's secret.

She had never asked for this responsibility, it had been forced on her without even asking. She had been dropped into the middle of a team, and was more than happy to try all she could to fit in. She was a little socially inept, largely because she had little outside of her training growing up, but she wasn't dense enough to fail to notice the fact that none of the others really got her, and that she didn't understand a lot of what they said and did.

Now though, she had a whole new set of challenges. Just days after arriving, her brother had dropped a bombshell, not just on her, but on the whole team. Tactically, she could understand his thinking. They needed one leader, one direction, one game-plan. They needed to know exactly what they needed to do, but his decision to leave had thrown everything into chaos.

Firstly, it broke her heart. She had spent her whole life with sensei and attendants. They revered and tended to her, caring for her and raising her, but in the end, none of them really cared for HER as a person. They cared about the fact they were preparing the one true Shogun for her duty to seal Xandred in the Netherworld for good. There were, on occasions, times when one or more of her attendants had kids her age that they would be nice to her and play with her, but there was no real family. It had been explained to her shortly after she had been taken away that her father was gone, and that he would not be coming back. She had longed for the day she would get her little brother back every day since they had been separated. When she had seen him for the first time, seen the man he had grown into, she didn't know how to feel.

She regretted not spending more time with him now. She had no idea he intended to leave the house. She understood his thinking, but it tore her apart losing him so soon after getting him back. There was still so much she wanted to catch up on. It had been fifteen years; she wanted to know how he had been raised. What he liked, what he didn't...she had already figured out what he and Antonio meant to each other...she really wanted to know about that.

There was then the situation it had left behind. He was right about one thing. After two years, the team were loyal to him. They had placed their lives and their trust in his hands so many times, it was only natural that they were strongly attached to him. The first problems had only started moments after he left. She had excused everyone from training, opting to start fresh today, but she was still nervous about what to expect.

"Lauren, we're ready for..." Emily stepped into the room, and stopped before her. Lauren saw her eyes were open wide as she looked at her. "Your...your arm."

Lauren looked down, realising the left sleeve of her gi was up at her elbow. It exposed her lower arm, which was covered in horrendous burn scarring. Lauren pulled her sleeve down.

"It's fine." She said sharply. "Where are the others?"

"Lauren..."

"Where are the others?" Lauren reiterated. Emily just gestured to the door. Lauren got up from her bed, making her way towards the door. "Thank you."

She got to the dojo, finding the others waiting for her. Kevin and Mike were standing as far from each other as they could, while Mia was trying hard to look like she wasn't taking sides, even if she was paying more attention to Kevin. Lauren went to the middle of the floor.

Before she could say anything though, the Gap Sensor sounded. She just looked to the others, before running to the Living Room. She opened up the map, with Ji by her side.

"Alright, it's at the beach." She announced, looking up. She saw the team assembled before her, and had to look along the line.

Emily was still shaken by what she had seen earlier. Mia was concentrating on keeping the peace between Mike and Kevin, while they had their own issues. Kevin had been pretty black-and-white on the whole deal, pledging his loyalty to Lauren straight off the bat, while Mike was more concerned with the fact Jayden had left. She glared at them all.

"Guys, we have a job to do." She told them. Ji was standing a little way off watching. He went for his Samuraizer, but she shook her head. It had been explained to her that he was only called in if he was desperately needed. While not exactly an old man, and certainly not helpless, his age was a factor in battle. He did take longer to recover from injury than the others if nothing else. Lauren could see the cracks in the team, and knew that she had to do something now. The last thing she needed was to call in the "Emergency Ranger" without even trying to take out the new threat herself. Looking at the energy readings, it seemed to register as only a mid-level threat.

"Alright, are we Samurai or not?" She demanded. "Come on!"

With that, she ran out of the house, morphing as she went. The others followed her, doing the same, heading for the beach.

When they got there, they found the Cyclops Nighlock running amuck. It didn't seem to be there for any particular reason, if anything it seemed really random. It was just scaring off people with nothing better to do on the weekend than lounge around on the beach, and wreck lifeguard towers.

"Alright Nighlock, stop right there!" Lauren called out. The Cyclops just looked at them, before kicking the sand, sending a huge cloud their way, covering them completely. Dusting themselves off, Mike leaned over to Lauren.

"You tell him." He said sarcastically. Lauren just ignored him, striding forward. As the Nighlock was busy overturning a snack cart, she just cast a symbol his way, setting his topknot alight. The creature growled as it patted the flames out with its hands.

"Hey, we're talking to you!" Lauren yelled. "Leave now, or we make you!"

The creature picked up the snack cart, and threw it at them. Lauren and the others scattered as it crashed to the ground, smashing on impact. Lauren rolled back to her feet, snatching up her Spin Sword.

"Alright guys, we..." Her words tailed off as Mike ran straight for it, swinging his Forest Spear in wide arcs. "Hey! Mike, we..."

Emily was quickly at his side, hammering the creature with her Spin Sword. The two of them seemed to do well, before he finally got enough room to swing his hammer, sending both of them flying.

"Mia, tell them...MIA!"

Lauren's words fell on deaf ears as Mia was already creating a whirlwind, picking up sand, and sending the resulting sandstorm for the Cyclops. The creature was distracted easily since it only had one eye to see with. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked to Kevin, who was standing by her.

"Lauren, are you...?"

"I'm fine!" She told him. "Set up some covering fire, we need to regroup!"

Kevin did as he was told, summoning his Dragon Bow. Lauren watched as the others attacked the creature, only to end up running as energy arrows fell to the ground. She shook her head in disbelief.

"Come ON! This is ridiculous!" She screamed. "Fall in! On the right...no your other right!"

The Rangers darted this way and that, before giving up on strategy altogether. Unfortunately that seemed to suit the Nighlock perfectly. He was clearly strong, but appeared not to be too clever. Rushing him just seemed to play right into his playbook. He slammed Mike to the ground by his throat, while smashing Emily and Mia away with his hammer.

Watching a little longer, she saw the Nighlock screaming in pain as one of Kevin's energy arrows struck it in the eye. She looked to the others.

"He's distracted, he's blind! Go for him!" She called out. She looked to them. "I said..."

Seeing that they were struggling, frustration finally overtook her. Kevin looked to her.

"Lauren?" He asked. "Lauren, what...?"

"Screw it, I'll do it myself!" She screamed, powering up into Super Samurai mode. She rushed towards the Cyclops, who was still trying to regain his vision. He finally cleared it in time to see the Super Bullzooka pressed to his chest.

Without a word, Lauren pulled the trigger, sending him flying into a guard tower, before exploding, leaving a little flame behind. She looked to the others, who were just assembling.

They all stood before her, waiting to hear from her, but the ground erupted, and they all looked up, seeing the creature growing to massive size. Lauren just pulled out the Lion Zord.

"Samurai Megazord!" She called out.

"Lauren, that guy's huge; we could do with more power." Mia suggested. "Maybe..."

"I said, MEGAZORD!" Lauren reiterated. The others just pulled out their zords, and prepared for the battle ahead.

Over at the cabin, Jayden was sitting outside, with a fishing rod in his hands, the line dangling in the water. He had a huge smile on his face. It was a unique feeling to him. For once, he was actually at peace. He didn't literally have the weight of the world on his shoulders. He had longed for his sister to return, mostly because he loved her, but if he was completely honest, there was a selfish part of him, buried deep inside, that longed for her to return so that he could have this. The world was no longer his problem. He wasn't selfish enough to genuinely not care, but now more than ever, his life was his own. He could just sit back and enjoy the world as it was.

Antonio came to his side, and gestured to the rod.

"Hey, I thought I told you this spot was lousy for fishing." Antonio commented. Jayden just laughed.

"I know, but it's inside the border for the security symbols." Jayden reminded him. "Besides, is catching fish really the point of fishing?"

"Uh...kinda." Antonio answered sarcastically. "That's why they call it 'fishing' and not 'sitting on our ass with a string in the watering'."

"Well, I like it this way." Jayden told him flatly.

"Well, unless we want beans or tinned peas tomorrow, I think I better do some shopping." Antonio told him. "I'll not be long."

With that, Antonio left. Jayden lay back, setting the rod in its rest, and just closed his eyes. He really was at peace here. Of course he was worried about his friends, of course he knew they still had battles to face, but for once, his life was his.

He felt a little breeze, and felt uneasy. He had felt it before. His eyes opened, and he sat up, looking a little way off, seeing Dekker standing there.

"Don't come any closer." Jayden warned him. "There are..."

"I know about the symbols." Dekker answered, running his hand over the field, causing a few sparks and some of his flesh to burn. He pulled his hand away, inspecting it. "Of course, it only applies here. It doesn't cover everyone you care about."

"What do you want Dekker?" Jayden asked.

"You know what I want." Dekker told him. "It doesn't look like you have too much better to do."

Jayden got up, facing him through the field. Dekker just smiled.

"Just ask yourself. Do you really want me to go after your friends?" He asked him. "Now that you don't have anything better to do..."

"Do you really want to fight me so badly Dekker?" Jayden asked him. "You know what'll happen if Xandred wins. You already destroyed Serrator to preserve humanity. Just..."

"I've come as far as I can on my own." Dekker interrupted him. "I need someone else to finish my journey. Whether that's you or someone more important won't matter to me when I'm gone."

"Name the time and place." Jayden told him.

"Meet me two miles west of here at midday." Dekker instructed him. "We'll finish this then."

With that, he walked away. A little way off, Dayu was watching.

"Now we know the time and place." She told her Furry Wort pet before disappearing.

Back at the Shiba House, the Rangers all came into the house, battering the doors open in frustration. The battle had been long, painful, and tiring. More than that, there was a lot of frustration in the air. Mike was the first in the Living Room, where Ji was waiting for them.

"What the hell was that?" He demanded angrily. "That guy was barely stronger than a pack of moogers and he played kickball with our butts!"

"Well maybe he wouldn't have been so destructive if you had done as you were told!" Kevin answered, his own frustration boiling over. "You were the one that ran in without direction!"

"Oh, so this is my fault?" Mike screamed, pointing at Lauren. "In case you forgot, she's the one..."

"That is ENOUGH!" Ji yelled, cutting them off as he slammed his cane into the floor. "That battle..."

"That was a hot mess!" Lauren said with as much authority as she could muster. Her heart was beating at a million beats a minute, and she was sure she wasn't far from having it break out of her chest facing them, but she spoke up. "We need direction..."

"Yeah, the direction that puts the bad guys six feet under!" Mike answered.

"Mike, stop." Emily pleaded with him. "We messed up, but it ended up alright."

"No thanks to her." Mike sneered, gesturing to Lauren. "I thought you were meant to be..."

"Back it up Mike!" Kevin stated. Mike just snorted.

"Oh, what a surprise, Mr Stick-up-his-ass chips in to side with the new chick!" He said with no attempt to disguise his contempt.

"Mike, you're out of line!" Mia told him. "We all..."

"It's her job..."

"It's my job to lead you!" Lauren told him. "But I can't do that if you won't listen to me!"

"Well, I thought you were supposed to be hot shit, you know, since you're replacing Jayden and everything." Mike answered. "You pretty much took that guy on single-handed. Why didn't you..."

"Maybe I'd have been better doing that." Lauren replied, but regretting it as soon as she had. She had been trying to win her team over, not drive them further away. They all looked at her, clearly upset. "Damn it, I took Fiera by myself, and she was way more dangerous than this guy. That was some of the sloppiest fighting I've ever seen! Why the hell won't you just listen to me?"

Mike got up, walking up and getting in her face.

"Why the hell should we?" He asked her. "You may be a great Samurai, but you're not Jayden."

With that, he walked away. Emily looked to her apologetically, before joining him. Kevin came over to her, hanging his head in shame.

"I'm sorry." Kevin replied, before leaving. Mia joined him, looking more than a little dejected. Everyone knew they had screwed up, Lauren most of all. It was her first outing, and she had been taking on a brute, a brainless powerhouse that should have barely been any more dangerous than a couple of dozen moogers, and they all looked like they had gone twelve rounds with Xandred. It was a disaster. She sat down and held her head in her hands.

Ji went across, patting her on the shoulder, and heading off to talk to the others. The whole thing had been a complete mess, one they needed to rectify quickly if they were to work together properly. Brenda came to Lauren's side, sitting with her.

"Hey, any team's a hard thing to come by." Brenda told her. "It takes time..."

"Well, time's one thing we don't have." Lauren answered. "Also, I know you may have married into the Samurai thing, but please don't think you know..."

"OK, for one, I can live without the attitude." Brenda told her. "I'm trying to help. Secondly, I may not be a Samurai, but I know that being a team..."

"What do you know that can possibly help?" Lauren asked her angrily. Brenda grabbed her gi and pulled her closer.

"I know what it's like to watch the man I love run off into battle knowing that might be the last time I ever see him!" Brenda hissed at her. "I know that every one of these kids has risked their asses day in day out for over two years while you've been on some kind of fifteen year holiday. I know you may be hot shit as far as the Samurai thing goes, but talk to the people I care about like that, and to me you're just a spoiled brat with a superiority complex."

She shoved Lauren away. Lauren couldn't even think about striking back. Not only was Brenda a civilian, and not only was she Ji's wife, she was also heavily pregnant. There was no way she could justify it.

"You all messed up today, you included." Brenda told her. And if you..."

Her words tailed off. Lauren stared for a second, seeing the expression of horror on Brenda's face, before looking to her gi. When she had shoved her, it had fallen out of place. It had exposed part of her shoulder and upper arm. There was an extensive network of scars there that looked like bad burns, almost like a melted candle. It was as though the very flesh had melted, and deformed. Lauren pulled up her gi, fastening it properly.

"I...I...I'm sorry." She stammered, bowing to her. "I should never have spoken to you like that."

With that, she left the room. Ji arrived back, seeing Brenda still looking a little confused.

"What happened?" He asked her.

"Nothing." Brenda breathed in a barely audible voice. "Nothing to worry about."

Meanwhile, out in the yard, Terry and Serena were furthering her training with Kasamune. Terry threw a coconut towards her, which she sliced with ease.

"Wow, that thing is amazing!" Terry commented.

"I guess I just needed to figure out how it worked." Serena giggled. "I guess now we have a pretty effective way of making fruit salad."

Just then, an arrow imbedded itself in a beam on the side of the house. They could both see it had a note attached to it. Serena took the arrow out, unravelling the note, and handing the arrow to Terry.

"Is that...?"

"It's the signal." Serena replied with a nod, showing him the note. "We know when and where."

On a hilltop, a little way off, Dayu stood with a longbow in her hand. In a burst of flame, it turned back into her Harmonium. She was determined that the curse would last no longer. Tomorrow, she and Dekker would be together again, one way or another.


	9. The Great Duel Begins

The following morning, the mood in the house was decidedly chilly. Jayden had only been gone a little over a full day, and already things seemed to be falling apart at the seams. Ji knew that there would be problems with Jayden leaving, but things were even worse than he had expected.

He had anticipated that it would take the team a while to get used to the fact Jayden was gone. He expected them to not know how to react to the fact that they now had to follow Lauren. After two years of following Jayden, of putting their lives in his hands, and having him do the same, it was always going to be a tall order to expect them to turn around and hand that same loyalty to someone they had only just met.

He found the Rangers standing by the door to the dojo, while Lauren practiced her sword work. She had set up the Light Zord to fire Power Disks at her, which she was batting out of the air with her Spin Sword. The Rangers just watched her as the Light Zord started launching the disks progressively faster, and more frequently.

"Why aren't you training with her?" Ji asked them.

None of them answered. He knew that they didn't want to disappoint him with their answer, but he could see they all felt just as disappointed as he was in their poor performance the previous day. The Nighlock they had faced was strong, but it was far from the most dangerous opponent they had ever faced. They had taken down much stronger Nighlock far more decisively. The only reason that it had caused them so much trouble was because the team had fallen apart once they were under fire.

"Jayden..."

"Jayden is not here." Ji reminded them. "Lauren is your leader now."

"Some leader." Mike scoffed. Ji jut glared at him. "What? You saw that battle. She..."

"I did see the battle." Ji told him. "I don't know what you called that, but I called it a mess. I didn't see a team out there. You all lost focus, and you very nearly paid a heavy price for it."

He saw the look on Mike's face. Although he still largely blamed Lauren for the battle, he knew that Ji was right. The team had lost all form of direction. None of them had listened to Lauren, running in without any form of planning. It had played straight into the hands of the Nighlock. Mike couldn't deny that he was probably the worst offender when it came to not following orders. He had taken a while to warm to Jayden and trust his directions.

"We're all really sorry." Emily mumbled. "I can't speak for the others, but I know...I just really miss Jayden."

"We all miss him." Ji answered abruptly. "You've all trusted Jayden's judgement up until now. If you've trusted all his other decisions, then why not this one?"

The Rangers all looked around each other, knowing that he had a point. Jayden's decisions had been odd at times, but he had never made a decision that put any of them at any more risk than he needed to.

"If Jayden believes in Lauren to lead this team, then why can't you?" He asked them. He then gestured into the dojo. Mike took a deep breath, and started to step forward. Kevin put a hand on his chest.

"Mike, what are you doing?" He asked the Green Ranger.

"I'm going to help Lauren train." Mike answered. "I'm sure she would appreciate the practice."

"Mike, you know how Jayden always hated it when you challenged him." Kevin said coldly. Neither of them noticed that Lauren had heard their conversation and stopped the Light Zord. She got a little look on her face as she considered what was happening. Mike, more than the others, had made his feelings on the change in leadership perfectly clear. She knew he was the one to win over.

Mike gave Kevin a little smirk, before approaching Lauren.

"Hey Lauren, do you fancy a sparring partner?" Mike asked her. "I'm pretty good with a sword."

Lauren still resented the position she was in. She knew Jayden hadn't intended it that way, but by leaving so soon after her arrival, he had placed her in a difficult position. It was only natural that the others would blame her for his departure. Even the girls, who had been only too quick to try and make her feel welcome had been hesitant to follow her lead when she started giving out orders. Only Kevin had unquestioningly followed her orders from the moment she had arrived. She forced a smile as she took the opportunity Mike was offering her. Perhaps what they needed was for her to prove to them that she was a worthy replacement for Jayden.

"I'd be honoured." Lauren told him. Mike got a pair of shinai from the weapons rack, throwing one to Lauren. They squared off, before Mike made the first move. It wasn't long before Mike found Lauren's shinai inches from his face. She gave him a little smirk as they set up again. Quicker than a thought, she had gone through his guard numerous times, once stopping inches from his throat, and another time almost touching his nose. She finished up by sweeping his legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the mats.

"Wow, you're awesome." Mike groaned as he rolled around on the floor in pain. He started to get slowly back to his feet. "You're definitely Jayden's sister."

"So, who's next?" Lauren asked. The girls both looked to Kevin, who stepped onto the mat, picking up the shinai Mike had dropped on the floor.

"I'd be honoured." He assured her, squaring off with her.

Meanwhile, in the cabin out in the woods, Jayden woke up, finding the cabin empty. Although he had intended to hide out here alone for the remainder of the war, he had to admit being happy that Antonio had defied him on that count. Having him with him meant that he would still have someone around.

Finding a note on the table, he smiled. He had gone fishing. He doubted that Antonio would be doing anything else, but he knew that he would need more stock for his business. While he had hoped that Antonio would still be there by the time he was awake, so he could see him before he left, it made things a little easier. Now, he wouldn't have to lie to him about where he was going.

Getting ready, he made his way out of the cabin, heading for the location Dekker had decided on for their duel. For most of his life, he had the responsibility of the entire world resting directly on his shoulders. Now though, now that he didn't have that responsibility, he found he still wasn't done. Dekker had still come for him, still determined to face him as his ultimate opponent. Jayden knew that he had lined up a list, and he was just the first name on it. Knowing about Kasamune, he had lined up Serena to face him if he didn't get the job done. He had suggested that he would also go after Lauren. The fact was, that if he didn't fight, Jayden knew that Dekker would just go after someone else.

Coming into a clearing, he found Dekker standing waiting for him. He smiled as he saw Jayden approaching.

"I was starting to wonder if you would show up." He commented.

"You said you wanted me, here I am." Jayden answered.

"You know, I've known about your secret for some time." Dekker told him. "Urumasa tells me everything about my opponents. Your secret's made you just like me, warped and corrupted."

"I'm nothing like you Dekker." Jayden snapped at him.

"No, perhaps not." Dekker answered. "After all, I've never been anything but straightforward with my intentions. I've always been clear with what I was. You though, you've had the others following you for two years, and you couldn't even tell them who you really were. You've lied to the people you claimed to care about from the moment you met them."

"I don't know about being like you Dekker, but I do know one thing. The world would be a better place without you." Jayden stated, taking the bandage off his wrist. "And now that I don't have the team to worry about, you've got my undivided attention."

"That's just the way I want it." Dekker stated as Jayden summoned his Spin Sword to his hand. With a huge battle cry, they fell upon each other, giving each other everything that they had.

Back at the Shiba House, Lauren came into the room, having changed after training. Mia was over by the cooker, preparing their lunch. Mia smiled as she saw her.

"You're just in time." Mia stated, beginning to plate up the meal. "I was beginning to think that you'd heard how I used to cook."

"Mia used to be pretty awful in the kitchen." Emily explained. "She's a lot better now. Kevin taught her a lot."

"Well, it all smells amazing." Lauren commented as Mia set the plate down before her. "My attendants tended to favour nutrition over flavour."

"You were really tearing it up in the dojo." Emily complimented her. "You must have practiced day and night."

"That's pretty much the truth." Lauren answered. Mike just looked at her.

"So, what did you do for fun?" He asked her. "Did you go dancing, or go to the movies? I'll bet you loved Twilight."

"What's Twilight?" Lauren asked. Mike just looked a little bemused.

"You haven't heard of Twilight?" He asked her.

"Is that necessarily a bad thing?" Kevin asked in response. Mike just nodded in agreement.

"I trained." Lauren said honestly, starting to eat her lunch. "I worked out, I trained, I read, I practiced my Symbol Power...I didn't really get a whole lot of time for anything else."

"Did you even eat out?" Mia asked. Lauren just shook her head.

"No, but when the cooking's this good, I'll bet you don't either, Mia this is incredible! I can't believe you're Sadie's daughter!"

"Apparently the lack of talent in the kitchen was genetic." Mike chipped in. "Speaking of which, where's the other Watanabe? Or Serena? I haven't seen either of them all morning."

"Terry said something about taking Serena somewhere to train." Mia told him. "Come to think of it, those two have been pretty cagey."

"They're not the only ones, we still don't know much about Lauren." Emily told her, bringing the conversation back to the Red Ranger.

"What do you want to know?" Lauren asked her. "I don't have much else to say really. I've told you pretty much everything."

"What about where you've been the last two years?" Emily asked her. Lauren paused as she heard this. "I mean, we know you went to the Tengen Gate, and we know you went to the retreat, but other than that..."

Lauren said nothing, just looking like Emily had slapped her. She didn't know what to say or do. She just stared at her plate, like she was hoping that it would provide an answer.

"We know that your location was attacked two years ago." Mike told her. "But after that...we don't know anything."

"What happened to you?" Emily asked her. "Is it anything to do with the scars?"

"What scars?" Kevin asked.

Before she could say anything else, the Gap Sensor sounded. Lauren just got up, heading for the map, and opening it up.

"Oh God, check out these power signatures." Mike commented. "They're...they're off the chart!"

"It makes that Nighlock we fought yesterday look like Spongebob." Kevin agreed.

"It's almost as powerful as Serrator was." Emily commented. Lauren looked to the others seriously.

"Alright, I know you barely know me, but we can't afford another mess like yesterday." Lauren told them. "I need you to trust me just for this battle. What I say goes. If you have an issue, or you disagree with me, then save it for when we get back."

"We really can't afford another screw up." Mia agreed. "I'm in."

"Me too." Emily answered.

"You've got me convinced." Mike told her. Kevin nodded his head in agreement. Lauren just looked to Ji.

"We'll call you if we need you." She told him. "Right, let's go!"

With that, she ran out of the house, followed closely by the others, morphing as they went. Brenda looked to Ji as they went.

"They look a lot better than they did yesterday." She remarked. Ji just nodded in agreement. "Ji, what Emily was talking about...the scars..."

"We all have scars." Ji told her. "It's a part of..."

"No, not like these." She commented. "It was pretty severe, it looked like most of her body had been burned."

"Burned?" He asked her. Brenda just nodded.

"It doesn't look like it was an isolated incident either." Brenda told him. "Ji...what happened to her?"

"I don't know." Ji answered, considering what she had told him. "But we should probably find out."


	10. Shiba Family Trials

Antonio was in the middle of town, selling his morning's catch. He had missed having the chance to talk with Jayden before going out, but he just didn't have the heart to wake him. Jayden had spent most of his life waking up early, training all day, dedicating almost every moment to preparing for battle. Although he knew how much it weighed heavily on Jayden stepping aside and letting Lauren take over, knowing that now she faced all the danger, he figured that if anyone deserved a break then it was Jayden. He was long overdue for some time where he could just do as he liked.

Antonio was also happy with the trade he was doing. Thanksgiving had been and gone, and a number of people were re-stocking their cupboards after the event. Some fresh fish obviously sounded good to a number of people.

Antonio was talking with his latest customer, wrapping up his purchase.

"Trust me, this is such a beautiful piece of fish, it would be a waste to do anything else with it." Antonio assured him. "Just grill it or fry it, with a few herbs, some salt and pepper and just a little lemon juice, and you'll thank me. Just promise me you'll leave that ketchup bottle in the cupboard!"

As the customer left, Antonio heard his morpher bleeping, but as he was about to answer it, he noticed people running away, screaming. He answered the call.

"Antonio, its Lauren." The Red Ranger began. "There's..."

"Let me guess, a big ugly Nighlock in my area?" Antonio asked her. "Oh, don't worry; I'd say I'm pretty close."

His words proved to be prophetic. As he said this, Gigertox rounded the corner, firing off some blasts, wrecking some nearby parked cars. Antonio checked around quickly to make sure no one was watching, before morphing.

"Samurai Ranger, Gold Power!" He called out, running out to put himself in Gigertox's path. He could feel his power from here, and his Samuraizer gave off a little warning bleep. The Nighlock just looked at the Gold Ranger, before advancing on him.

"Just one puny Ranger?" He asked. "It's not even one of the REAL Samurai. I'd have thought I'd warrant at least the Blue Ranger...even though it's Red I really want. They send me you? I'm insulted!"

"Well let me add some injury to that ins...arhhh!" Antonio was sent flying back by Gigertox's first attack. It came far quicker than he could have anticipated, and it hit like a meteorite. As he struggled to get up, Gigertox launched a blast that caused a massive explosion. Antonio finally managed to struggle to his knees, looking across to his cart, finding it completely destroyed. The explosion had been the gas tank going up. Antonio summoned the Light Zord to his hand.

"OK, now you owe me a new cart!" He stated as he ran back to the attack, hoping to buy the others time to get there. For all his tough talk, it was obvious that something was different about Gigertox.

Over in the woods outside of the city, Serena and Terry were looking for Jayden. Dayu had sent them word of the duel, planning to draw Serena to the site of the battle. While Serena had tried to tell Terry not to come with her, he had insisted it would make the search a little easier. Jayden's previous duel with Dekker had gone from the beach to the cliffs, so even though they knew where the duel had started, they knew it could take them quite some time to find him.

Arriving in a clearing, Serena knelt down, placing Kasamune on the ground and picked up a bandage. She handed it to Terry.

"It looks like Dayu was right about where the duel started." Terry commented. "The question is, where are they now?"

"Wherever they are, no doubt Dayu isn't far away." Serena told him.

"Let's split up." Terry told her. "We'll cover more ground that way."

"Terry..."

"Come on Serena, the sooner we find Jayden the better." He told her.

"Terry, I have this." She reminded him, showing him Kasamune. "If you run into Dekker, or if Dayu's playing us..."

"Hey, I have as little desire to be parted from my internal organs as the next guy." Terry assured her. "I'll be careful, I promise."

"Fine, just remember..."

"I know, I know, call you if I find him, and don't try to take Dekker myself." Terry grumbled for the hundredth time since they had decided to look for Jayden. "I'll take this path, you go that way."

Serena just nodded, before running off in the other direction. As he left, Terry reached into the backpack he had brought with him. He had brought a little something with him that he hoped would buy his friends a little more time.

Over in the city, the Rangers arrived to find Antonio lying in a heap against a wall, battered and beaten. The Light Zord lay by his side, showing signs of damage, and he had been forced to de-morph. Mike and Emily were quickly by his side.

"Antonio, are you alright?" Emily asked him.

"Not really." He grumbled. "Be careful guys, there's something different about this Nighlock. He's really powerful, possibly even as powerful as Serrator."

"Well we took him." Mike reminded him. "Just rest up here, let us take care of this guy."

As they assembled, either side of Lauren, the new Red Ranger stared the new Nighlock down.

"Well well, it's true; you have a new Red Ranger." He commented. "Nice skirt."

"This guy really is powerful." Mike told her. "You should see the state Antonio's in."

"We're prepared to follow your lead." Emily reminded her. "What's the plan?"

"Here's an idea for a start." Lauren commented as Gigertox launched some tentacles their way. "DUCK!"

The Rangers all dived this way and that, avoiding his attacks. Lauren summoned up the Black Box as she saw Gigertox taking down the others in short order.

"Fall in behind me!" Lauren ordered them. "Be prepared to strike on my signal!"

Using the power of the Black Box, she moved at incredible speed, far faster than would normally have been possible, even morphed. Treating it like the training with the Light Zord, she swatted aside his tentacles, keeping his attention on her.

"Wow, maybe I ought to try that Light Zord Power Disk thing." Mike remarked as the rest of the team assembled behind Lauren. She powered forward, giving them room.

"NOW!" She called out, throwing herself to the side.

"Quadruple Slash!" Mike and the others called out as they powered up their Spin Swords. Gigertox was taken clean off his feet by the force of the attack, rolling away. Lauren didn't wait for him to regain his composure, summoning up the Super Bullzooka.

She aimed it at him, concentrating on the attack as she slammed the Power Disk into the Black Box. She had only used the Super Bullzooka once before, and on that occasion, she had fired it at point blank range. Her training had been very traditional, so she hadn't really used guns before. Levelling the weapon, she aimed it, and started to breathe slowly. Gigertox managed to get back to his feet by the time she fired.

Fortunately, the shot was good. Striking him in the chest, Gigertox screamed in pain, before pitching backwards, and exploding as he hit the ground. Mike and the others were quickly by Lauren's side.

"Well, that one went a LOT better." Mike commented, patting her on the shoulder. "Nice shot by the way."

"Pretty good for a beginner right?" Lauren asked him.

"Hey, take me through that Power Disk training thing you do, and I'll show you how to practice shooting." Mike promised her. Beneath her helmet, she smiled. Mike had been the one to win over.

"I'd like that." She told him. "Now, everyone stay sharp, this isn't over yet."

Right on cue, Gigertox began his second life, growing to massive size. Lauren pulled out the Samurai Combination Disk.

"Alright, this guy's powerful, but he's also fast. We need to slow him down first." She told them. "We'll begin with the Samurai Battlewing."

"Good choice." Kevin complimented her. "You heard her guys; it's time to go Mega Mode."

Back in the woods, Jayden was battling Dekker, along a long, winding path up the cliff. The woods in this area were considered a great beauty spot in the area, and so a sky bridge had been built over them. Following Dekker onto the bridge, the battle took a doubly dangerous turn. Not only did it mean both of them had less room to manoeuvre, it also meant that the danger of falling was also a factor. While it wouldn't be lethal if he remained morphed, and he doubted it would finish off Dekker, the damage suffered from that could be decisive.

"I've craved this ever since you broke Urumasa!" Dekker told him. "My blade will not break this time!"

"This time, I don't intend just to stop you!" Jayden called out, swinging for him. The two remained locked in battle, unaware as Serena arrived by the stream beneath them.

She had been drawn by the sound of clashing swords, and looked up, seeing them in desperate combat. She looked around, cursing her luck. She had taken the path to the side of the stream, meaning she was far below them. She was nowhere near them, meaning it would take her some time to get to them.

She drew Kasamune, and looked around for another way up, finding none that would give her fast access. Hearing something, she looked up in time to see Jayden's Spin Sword flying over the edge of the bridge. He ducked and dodged as Dekker sought to press the advantage.

"Damn it!" She screamed. Just then, she saw something else, someone ran onto the bridge. She couldn't believe her eyes as the Pink Ranger ran onto the bridge, hitting Dekker from behind with a flying kick, almost knocking him over the edge.

"Terry?" Jayden asked as he saw that this Pink Ranger was a man. Terry just nodded.

"Go and get your sword." Terry told him. "I'll keep Dekker busy."

"Terry, he's too dangerous!" Jayden told him. "Stand down!"

Terry wasn't listening though. He ran towards Dekker, closing the range, taking their swords right out of the battle. Jayden watched Terry lay into Dekker, who was still off-balance with kicks and elbows.

"Terry, what the hell? You have a sword for a reason!" Jayden yelled at him. "Use the damn thing!"

Just then, he noticed something that he hadn't before. Terry's suit snagged on a ragged edge on the guard rail and ripped. His Ranger suit should never have done that.

Dekker caught him in the face with an elbow, sending him staggering, before smashing him in the side of the head with the handle of his sword. Jayden and Dekker both came to the same realisation as the helmet shattered, sending fragments of PVC flying. Jayden looked to a fragment that landed near him with horror.

"The Halloween costume!" Jayden gasped. Dekker swung Urumasa, scoring a hit across Terry's chest that sent blood flying, and caused him to collapse to his knees.

"You're brave young one." Dekker complimented him. "Not many would dare get in my way, not least of which without the power to do so."

He sliced Terry's plastic sword in two, before stepping past him.

"Now, step aside and let us finish this." He told him.

"Jayden?" Terry asked.

"What?" Jayden asked him.

"Catch me!" Terry called out, rushing Dekker from behind. He grabbed Dekker's wrist, bringing Urumasa down across the side railing, causing the bridge to capsize, throwing all three of them over the edge. Serena could only watch in horror as they fell.

Jayden managed to catch Terry, controlling their fall as they hit trees on their way down. They both landed, with Jayden taking the hit. He rolled to a stop, looking to Terry as they landed. Serena came to their side, dropping Kasamune as she did so.

She looked to Terry lying stricken on the ground. It reminded her all too much of Jayden's first duel with Dekker, when Stephen had thrown himself in harm's way. Terry looked up at them.

"Terry!" She shrieked, checking on him. Dekker had not cut deeply, obviously not figuring that Terry was much of a threat.

"It was just his Halloween Costume!" Jayden told her. "What are you both doing here?"

"We came looking for you." Serena told him. "Um...we saw Dekker's energy signature on the scanner. The others are busy..."

"You could have been killed." Jayden told them. "You need to get him out of here."

Just then, they looked up as Dayu entered the clearing.

"This duel's getting a little crowded." She commented, drawing the Short Sword from her Harmonium. "I suppose that means anyone's invited."

"Do I get to stay now?" Serena asked, picking up Kasamune. "Dekker's still around here somewhere."

"Fine, just keep Dayu off my back." Jayden told her. "Dekker's mine!"

With that, Jayden ran off to look for Dekker. Serena looked to Terry.

"I'll be fine." He groaned. "Just...do what you have to."

Serena placed Stephen's octagonal Power Disk on the handle of Kasamune and prepared a guard.

"Well, we're here as you asked." Serena told her. "Now what?" Dayu didn't say anything in response, instead rushing to the attack with a hellish scream.

Back at the site of the battle, Lauren and the others were in the cockpit of the Samurai Battlewing, taking the battle to Gigertox. He managed to score some telling hits, but their power of flight kept them from taking too much damage. Lauren brought them around for another strike.

Gigertox yelled out in pain, but was still on his feet. Fortunately, the way he was limping, it seemed their plan of slowing him down was working.

"Alright, he's on the ropes!" Kevin announced.

Lauren put in the Ultimate Combination Disk, bringing together the Gigazord.

"Alright, let's get this done." Lauren called out, bringing the Shogun Disk out. "Shogun Mode, Power of the Ancestors!"

Gigertox was finally back on his feet, and could only stare as the power blast powered up.

"Time to put another one in the win column!" Lauren announced.

"Oh fu..."

Gigertox never finished. The ultimate blast fired off, destroying his second form. The Rangers all turned to each other, whooping excitedly.

"Alright, that time around was better in every way than the last time!" Kevin commented.

"And that guy was way tougher than the last one!" Mike added.

"I'd say we finally figured out this new team." Emily complimented Lauren. "Good job!"

"Uh...guys, what's going on there?" Mia asked, pointing out of the window. They all watched as the spot where Gigertox had fallen erupted. Their energy scanners started to go haywire as a gigantic, purple dragon grew out of his remains. It towered over even the Gigazord, and it glowed with unnatural power. It reared its head towards the heavens, bellowing a deafening roar.

"A third form?" Kevin gasped.

"Maybe you should try talking to it?" Mike suggested. "I mean, you're the dragon guy right?"

"I've...I've never seen anything like it!" Mia gasped.

"Well, we're going to get a real close look!" Lauren answered. "Here it comes!"

With that, it launched itself at them, biting and snapping at the Gigazord, driving it backwards with every lunge. Lauren and the others struggled with the controls, knowing that they still had a long way to go with their battle.

Back in the woods, Jayden continued to look for Dekker, clutching his Spin Sword in his hand. He had de-morphed to save some energy, but he could tell that Dekker couldn't be far. They had both fallen from the bridge, so he couldn't have gone particularly far. He looked up as he heard hooves, turning around to see Dekker a little way off.

He was in human form, and looked a little worse for wear after the fall, but otherwise ready to resume their battle. He was sitting on top of a jet black horse, with white barding patterned after his own robes. He had Urumasa clutched in his hand.

"Where did you get the horse?" Jayden asked. Dekker just chuckled.

"Is that really the most important thing you can worry about?" He asked. Jayden just pulled out his Samuraizer.

"Symbol Power!" Jayden announced, drawing up a symbol, casting it forth. "Horse!"

He mounted the steed, bringing it around to face Dekker. He brought up his sword.

With a huge battle cry, they rode towards each other, their swords clashing in the air as they circled each other, jostling for position. The duel was back on.

Back at the site of the main battle, Lauren saw Gigertox's third form circling away from them, rearing back for more power. Sparks flew from the console as they tried to regroup.

"This is getting serious." Lauren stated. "We can't take too much more of this."

She summoned the Light Zord, damaged as it was, and placed it on its podium. She hit the top, bringing out the Shark Zord disk.

"This worked on Serrator right?" She asked. "Alright, I'll need all your Symbol Power!"

"Dragon Zord, Swordfish Zord!" Kevin announced, tracing his symbols.

"Ape Zord, Octozord!" Emily added.

"Bear Zord, Beetle Zord!" Mike continued.

"Turtle Zord, Clawzord!" Mia called out, adding her symbols.

"Lion Zord, Tiger Zord, Bull Zord, Shark Zord!" Lauren concluded, tracing her symbols, channelling the energy of all their combined Symbol Power into the Shark Zord. "Alright, here he comes; we have to time it just right...NOW!"

With that, they lashed out. Gigertox screamed out as the power of the attack caught him. The dragon bellowed out one last time, before exploding. Seeing all the scans coming back as negative, the Rangers all finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good job guys, I'm really glad to have you with me." Lauren announced, feeling emboldened by their victory. "I couldn't have done it without you. This time, I really mean it when I say...Samurai Rangers...Victory is ours!"


	11. What Happened?

**A/N: **VERY minor spoiler for tomorrow's episode (I think there are maybe a couple of scenes adapted). It's nothing huge that should detract from the episode, but I just wanted to give you a fair warning. If you don't want to risk it, then wait until after "Evil Reborn".

Lauren and the other Rangers arrived back in the Shiba House following their battle, Mike and Kevin helping Antonio into the main room, laying him down on the couch, while Emily ran for some ice. Ji and Brenda had already prepared the first aid kit, expecting the team to come home with casualties. They had seen the power readings before the Rangers had left, and knew that it was likely to be a tough battle. In a lot of ways, it ways, it was a surprise only one of them needed help back to the house.

As Brenda and the other Rangers started to check on him, Mia taking the lead since they had no idea where Terry had gotten to, Ji gestured to Lauren that he wanted to talk to her. She went with him out into the hall.

"What happened out there?" He asked. She looked to him and smiled.

"The team really pulled together." Lauren told him. "That Nighlock was tougher than I would have ever expected, but we got through it. They're everything Jayden said they'd be."

"They've been doing this for a long time." Ji told her, coming a little closer. "You all just needed to get on the same page."

"I guess once we started trusting each other, relying on each other...it all started falling into place." She answered, beaming broadly. "I've spent so long on my own; I really haven't been used to being part of a team, never mind leading one."

"I suppose that is a part of your training that may have been lacking." Ji commented. "Though if I remember correctly, your brother took a while to get used to it too."

He took her gently by the arm and pulled her a little further away. Looking to her, he could see that she was becoming nervous, obviously having guessed he had something serious he wanted to say.

"Speaking of your training, it reminds me that Emily asked you a question before you went out." Ji reminded her. Lauren just pulled away a little.

"Um...I..."

"She and Mike asked you where you've been for the last two years." Ji continued. "Until now, I've respected the fact that so far you've kept that to yourself. I had hoped that you would feel comfortable enough to tell us..."

"Well, I'm really not." She interrupted him. Ji just shook his head.

"I'm afraid that isn't good enough." He put down flatly. "I went to that site. I saw the aftermath of what happened at that safe house..."

"I was there when it happened!" She interjected sharply. "You may have seen what was left behind, but I saw it first-hand."

"Then perhaps you should..."

"I don't WANT to talk about it!" She told him flatly. "It's in the past, it doesn't matter."

"One thing I've learned from all this time I've spent with the others is exactly how important the past is. It's what shapes who we are in the present." He told her. "You saw the difference in your team's performance. Once they started trusting you, and you started trusting them, you went from a disorganised mess to being able to take down one of the toughest Nighlock they've faced with minimal injuries."

"That doesn't mean..."

"Your team placed their trust in you." Ji cut in, trying to catch her eyes. "They have placed their lives in your hands twice now, and it won't be the last time. The only way they can do that is if they believe you're playing straight with them. Perhaps you owe it to them to show them that their trust is not misplaced."

"Nothing happened." Lauren told him. Ji just grabbed her sleeve and pulled it up, exposing her scarring. Ji had to try hard not to react. He had heard from both Emily and Brenda about the scars, but nothing could have prepared him for the extent of them. He had hoped they were exaggerating, but it did look like they covered most of her arms at least. It was then that the thought occurred to him that since she had come to the house, Lauren had never worn short sleeves, or anything that exposed her legs. How far did the scarring extend?

"This...this doesn't look like nothing." Ji stammered. Lauren just pulled down her sleeve and held a finger in his face.

"I've never pulled rank before, but I'm the Shogun." She said with a stern tone in her voice. "This is a subject that is NOT up for discussion. Not now, not ever. I think I've proven myself to the team, and they have to me. That should be enough."

Ji just sighed and gestured to her that she could go. Lauren just took a deep breath.

"I'm going to check on Antonio, then I'm going to my room." She told him. "If you want to do something useful, then instead of worrying about what may or may not have happened to me, maybe you could look up the archives and see if you can find anything about Nighlock with a third life."

"A third life?" Ji asked her. She just nodded.

"That last Nighlock had a third life, a form even bigger and more powerful than the second." Lauren told him. He looked more than a little surprised. "I don't know about you, but I don't remember anything in the archives I've studied about Nighlock pulling that trick."

"It's not been in anything I've read." Ji told her.

"Well in that case, that's your priority." Lauren told him. "If this is a one-off, that's one thing, but if this is something new, then we have to know about it."

With that, she went back through to the main room. She saw Antonio struggling to get up.

"You're really desperate to get back to my brother aren't you?" She asked him. Antonio just grunted.

"Actually I'm just suffering under all this care-giving!" He grumbled. "Jeez, the point of First Aid is to make things better, not hurt the patient more!"

"Well his tongue works at least." Mia answered, looking a little annoyed by his comments. Lauren just smiled.

"Well, you all seem to have it covered here." Lauren told them. "Kevin, once the others have patched him up...or at least, finished him off...take the SUV and take what's left of him back to the cabin. I'm sure Jayden will appreciate that."

With that, she went to her room, closing the door behind her. The battle had gone well, and the team were finally accepting her role. She knew that she would never really replace Jayden to them, but they seemed to accept her as a worthy substitute. She didn't want to risk changing that now.

Back in the woods, Jayden and Dekker rode their horses, weaving through the trees, attacking each other with everything they had. Both of them had been weakened by the fall from the bridge, and exhaustion was also becoming a factor in the battle. Coming around, Jayden rested his Spin Sword over his shoulder, facing off as Dekker also turned around several feet away. His arm felt like jelly, and his Sword felt more like a sledgehammer than the perfectly balanced and weighted weapon it was. Dekker smiled.

"No matter the outcome, this is one duel that is worthy of the ages." Dekker told him. "I would be honoured to fall to your blade."

"Then prepare to be honoured!" Jayden called back. "I WON'T let you hurt anyone else!"

As they rode towards each other, Dekker powered up into his Nighlock form. Jayden morphed to renew the battle. Their swords clashed, and sparks flew as both of them put all the energy they had into the battle.

A little way off, Serena tumbled away as Dayu sent blasts her way. She snarled as she rolled to her feet.

"What's the deal Dayu?" She snarled. "You invited us here! You told us where the duel was! Why would you bring us here if you were only going to attack me?"

"You'll know your part in this soon enough Blessed Warrior!" Dayu said in heavy breaths, nursing some of the injuries Serena had inflicted in response. She threw aside her Harmonium, discarding it in the forest, and bringing both hands to the hilt of her short-sword. "For now, don't disappoint me by falling too easily!"

Back at the Shiba House, the team were caring for Antonio. It looked like he was a little more seriously injured than they, and indeed he, previously believed. They were reluctant to let him go anywhere for the time being, despite his protests.

As she went to get him something to drink, Emily noticed that they had left the map open. Something on it caught her attention though. Looking at it, she saw some energy signatures.

"Hey guys, I think you might want to see this!" She called out. Mia, Kevin, Mike and Ji all came to the map, inspecting it. "This doesn't look good."

"Those energy signatures...Dekker and Dayu!" Mike announced.

"Serena and Jayden are out there too!" Mia shrieked. "Terry said they were going to train!"

"We can worry about that later." Ji told them. "In the meantime, we must go and help them."

"It's Jayden's fight." Kevin stated. "We have a responsibility..."

"We have a responsibility to our friend who's got a skull-faced lunatic trying to kill him!" Mike yelled.

"You are both right." Ji told him. He weighed up his options, considering everything they knew. His instinct wanted to run out to help Jayden himself, and the others also wanted to go and help, but Kevin had brought up a point. Sending everyone after Dekker would only leave the city vulnerable. While the loss of Dekker and Dayu would leave the Netherworld short another two powerful Nighlock, two of the most powerful left, they couldn't discount any of the others.

"Kevin and I will remain with Lauren." He told them. "Antonio is in no state to shoulder his share of a battle, so Kevin and I will be here to help if Lauren needs us. Mike, Emily, Mia...go and help them."

"We'll bring him home safely." Mia assured him.

"Come on guys!" Mike called out, running from the house, taking the lead. Kevin just crossed his arms and leaned on a wall.

"I'll attend to Antonio." He told Kevin. "You go and speak to Lauren. Tell her what has happened."

Kevin just nodded, and headed towards Lauren's room. He knocked the door, but got no answer. He tried again, and still got no answer. Eventually, he just opened the door, heading inside.

Lauren was using a hair-dryer when he entered. She had clearly just stepped out of the shower. She obviously hadn't heard him over the hair-dryer.

Mercifully, she was wrapped in a towel. Kevin was incredibly embarrassed, and just wanted to leave the room before she noticed him, but he stood, unable to believe what he saw. Although most of her body was covered by the towel, her shoulders and arms were exposed. Most of them were covered in extensive burn scars, that made her flesh look a lot like a melted candle. On her right shoulder, was one of particular note. It was shaped, and formed some kind of glyph. These burns were no accident, someone had done this to her deliberately. The glyph in particular bore all the hallmarks of a brand. Some sick individual had branded her like an animal.

"Lauren?" Kevin asked as she shut off the hair-dryer. Lauren snapped around in alarm, seeing Kevin standing in her room.

"Kevin?" She shrieked, seeing him standing there. She grabbed a robe, pulling it on quickly to cover the burns, but it was far too late. He had already seen them. She was shivering uncontrollably as she saw him. Her face alternated between panic and anger. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Um...Jayden's in the forest battling Dekker." He informed her. "The others have gone to help him."

He stepped a bit closer, looking at her sympathetically.

"Lauren, who did that to you?" He asked her. She just shoved him roughly out of the room, before slamming the door in his face. Kevin didn't know how to react. He was concerned about Lauren, but his sense of duty, combined with his embarrassment at walking into her room caused him to just leave uneasily. Whatever had happened to her, it wasn't good. More than that, it was clear whatever happened was no accident. Someone had hurt her intentionally, and by the looks of it, it was a lot more than an isolated incident.

In the woods, Mia, Emily and Mike were running around, looking for Jayden. They didn't know what was going on, or understand why Serena had come looking for Jayden, but they all doubted that it was a coincidence that it was no coincidence that she was there at the same time as Dekker, Dayu and Jayden.

As they got to the edge of the stream, Emily spotted someone lying on the ground. She pointed him out to the others, and they all ran towards him, fearing the worst. They got close enough to see that it was Terry. There was blood on the ground near him from his wounds, and he was still wearing what remained of his Halloween costume. He had torn off some of it as makeshift dressings for the wound Dekker had inflicted.

"Terry!" Mia shrieked. "What are you doing here?"

"Why...why are you wearing that costume?" Emily asked him. Mike helped Terry sit up, taking off his jacket and giving it to him, propping him up against a tree.

"I'm paying the inevitable price for trying to help friends." He answered.

"Where are Serena and Jayden?" Emily asked him. He pointed a little way off.

"Last time I saw them, they headed that way." He informed them. "Serena and Dayu were fighting...Jayden went to find Dekker."

"I'll stay with him." Mia told the others. "You two go and find the others."

Mike and Emily ran off, continuing their search. Terry smiled at his sister weakly.

"I guess a little sympathy's too much to ask for?" He asked. Mia just glared at him.

"What were you two doing out here Terry?" Mia asked him. "Don't lie to me!"

Terry remained silent. He didn't want to admit that they had come by Dayu's invitation. It sounded silly enough in his head, let alone admitting it to others. Mia just crossed her arms defiantly and glared at him.

"Well, I'm waiting!" She growled. Terry just sighed.

"You totally inherited that look from mom." He responded, preparing to tell her what he knew.

Back at the Shiba House, Lauren came into the kitchen, finding Kevin with a book in his hands. She approached him slowly.

"Kevin...I'm sorry for how I reacted." Lauren began. "I was surprised to see you there..."

"I should have waited until you answered." Kevin said apologetically.

"So, you said the others have gone after Jayden and Dekker?" She asked him. Kevin rolled his eyes. "Kevin?"

"Lauren, do you expect me to just forget what I've seen?" He asked her.

"Kevin..."

"What happened to you?" He asked her.

"Kevin, it doesn't matter..."

"Like hell it doesn't." Kevin answered sharply. "Look, I've just about had it with the Shiba Clan!"

"Kevin..."

"I know I take all this more seriously than the others. I've heard every joke they've told. I know that sometimes my diet or my way of doing things seem silly, but I used to always think that I was doing the right thing." He told her.

"Kevin, you're the most..."

"I fell in behind Jayden without question because he was the head of the Shiba Clan. He was my Shogun." Kevin said bitterly. "I didn't know him from Adam, but that didn't matter. He was the Shogun, that was it for me. I gave him my trust, my loyalty without question. Then, after two years I find out he's been lying to me. Do you know how I felt?"

"You weren't happy. I kind of noticed." Lauren stammered.

"I was HUMILIATED!" Kevin roared. "I can take the others making fun of me. I expect it. I know they don't get how much this means to me, but Jayden did. When I found out he had been leading me on, I felt like I had been his personal joke! That he got some kind of kick out of the fact I pledged myself without question to the wrong Shiba and followed him like an idiot! I felt like he'd been laughing at me behind my back for all that time!"

"Kevin, it wasn't like that." Lauren assured him.

"I turned my loyalty over to you, again without question." Kevin stated. "And now, now that for the first time I actually have questions, you can't give me a straight answer?"

He showed her the book, and on its pages, she could see the glyph that he had seen burned into her shoulder. Lauren looked up to him, trembling.

"What happened to you after that attack?" He asked her. "Where have you been for the last two years? How did you get those scars?"

Lauren just stood, mouthing wordlessly as she tried to find a way out of this situation. Of all the Rangers, Kevin had been the most devoted. She couldn't afford to drive him away, but she didn't want to even think about what happened, much less talk about it.

"Don't even try to tell me it's nothing Lauren." Kevin told her. "What happened?"


	12. Dekker's Destiny

Serena let out a huge cry as she swung for Dayu with her sword Kasamune, aiming to cut her in two, only to find her dodging out the way. Serena's rage had overcome her. She and Terry had counted on Dayu's love, knowing how obsessed she was with her quest to be with Dekker again, that they had come to the site of the duel in good faith. They believed her message, that she wanted to help them release Dekker from his curse, but when they got there, she had attacked.

Her thoughts strayed to Terry, remembering seeing him lying on the ground, bleeding. He had been sliced open by Dekker for interfering in his duel with Jayden. It was like watching history repeating itself. Her first love, Stephen, had been injured by Dekker. It had been while he was recovering that they admitted how they felt about each other. Unfortunately, that same bravery had been what had killed him. She had lost him at Serrator's hands, and while he was now gone, and Stephen had been avenged, it still pained her deeply. She knew how she felt about Terry, as much as she had tried to deny it for so long, but he had the same heart. He had the same courage; something that was at the same time what had probably drawn her to him, but now also left her fearing that she would lose another man she loved to the Nighlock.

She felt a hard kick in the side of the face, and was shocked back into reality. Dayu sliced across the same cheek with her short sword just to make the point clear.

"You're not paying attention!" Dayu chastised her.

"I know you set me up Dayu!" She screamed. "I know you just wanted to take me out so that your precious Dekker would be safe!"

"You are a naive, stupid girl, so consumed by her own hurt she can't see what is clearer than day." Day sneered. "Still, you're my only hope, so I have no choice."

Just then, Mike and Emily arrived, seeing the two battles. Dekker and Jayden were laying into each other with a fury that was far greater than any of them could believe, while Serena and Dayu were also locked in deadly combat.

"Serena!" Emily screamed, seeing her sister. She and Mike both morphed, but the scream had distracted Serena. Seizing the opportunity, Day grabbed Serena's t-shirt, shoving a foot into the pit of her stomach, and performed a powerful sacrificial throw, sending Serena flying through the air. Serena slammed into Jayden, sending him staggering a significant distance, and leaving Serena on the ground.

Before anyone could respond, Dayu fired off a power blast, igniting a ring of fire on the ground that flared up about four feet in height, surrounding Serena and Dekker, keeping everyone else away. Jayden tried to approach, but the flames were too intense. He tried to use his samuraizer to part the flames, but they didn't respond. They were Netherworld flames, meaning his Symbol Power had no sway over them, any more than Kevin's would affect the Sanzu River. Day laughed as she got to his feet.

"Well, there is one way to deal with the flames." She offered, gesturing to the others. "Three on one shouldn't be too daunting."

Jayden ran around the flame ring, while Mike and Emily fell upon her in a fury.

Inside the fire-ring though, Serena got to her feet slowly, seeing Dekker looking around at the situation. His original opponent, his intended opponent, the Red Ranger, was beyond his reach for now. It was then that he noticed Urumasa glowing brightly. He looked across to Serena, and more importantly to the sword in her hand, Kasamune. The two blades had only faced each other once in a bloodless contest. Seeing the power disk and the blade glowing brightly, Serena felt it too. This was what Kalsomine had been created for centuries ago. It had been created to be Urumasa's opposite. The two blades were destined to meet. Dekker looked to her.

"The Red Ranger is out of reach for now." Dekker commented. "I suppose in the meantime, the duel your lover promised me will take place a little earlier than expected."

"I suppose so." Serena replied, gripping the Power Disk. Spinning it, she felt all her pain, all her weakness from her battle with Day melting away. She looked down, marvelling as, from nowhere, Samurai armour of a bright, spectacular gold started to form around her body. Plates interlocked, sealing her inside, before a helmet appeared on her head. The image was completed as a face-mask of the same metal appeared over her face, leaving only her eyes exposed. Serena looked down at herself, taking in the transformation. Stephen, it seemed, had really outdone himself in unlocking the potential of Kasamune's power. He had given her the one thing that the Rangers had that Kalsomine hadn't; he had given her protection from her enemies.

"Thank you Stephen." She whispered, adopting a guard. "Alright Dekker, let's see what Urumasa's really made of!"

With a huge cry, the two warriors ran at each other, the two swords clashing in a shower of sparks that lit up the early evening. Serena called on everything she had ever learned, all she knew as she rounded on Dekker. This was it, this was what all of the myths and legends and training had been all about. She was going to be the one to rid the world of Dekker for good.

At the mall, Spike was with Vicky, sharing a milkshake on another date. She noticed he was a little quiet today, something which bothered her.

"Mal's a big boy." She assured him. "Look, I think it sucks he's not listening to any of us over the play, but it's his life. It's his mistake to make."

"Yeah, I know." Spike grumbled, jabbing his straw around in the thick, creamy mass between them. Vicky just sighed.

"Look Spike, just forget about it. We've done all we can." She told him. "It's not like we can make him listen to us."

Spike just nodded in agreement. Vicky reached across, taking his hand gently in hers.

"Spike, that's all this is about isn't it?" She asked him. "You've been really quiet all day."

Spike just sighed and reached into his jacket pocket, before pulling out an envelope. He put it down before her, sliding it across. Vicky picked it up and started reading.

"That deal my dad's been working on? He's wrapping it up soon." Spike told her. "He'll be done in the next couple of weeks."

"So..."

"So, he and mom..." Spike started to say, tailing off as he tried to find a way to say it. "They're going to be coming to town."

"That's great!" Vicky yelled. "You'll get to see them across the holidays..."

"Think about it Vicky." He commented. "They only sent me to Uncle Bulk while they sorted this out. Now they have..."

"They'll want you back." Vicky gasped, realising where this was going. "You're leaving?"

"Vicky..."

"It's...it's alright Spike." She gulped, hoping to stop herself from crying as she heard this. She had only just gotten together with him recently, but now it looked like she was about to lose him. She knew about his family situation. She knew that his parents had only left him with his uncle temporarily, but it had been so long and she loved him so much, she had pushed the idea out of her mind that one day his parents would be back for him. He clutched her hand a little more tightly.

"Look, this isn't happening for at least another couple of weeks." Spike told her. "There's E-mail, Twitter, Skype...we'll stay in touch. College is only a year and a half away. We can..."

"Spike..."

"Vicky, just...just a moment." Spike told her as he started to look around. He gestured to her to look around, which she did. It was then that they saw Mal making his way through the food court on his crutches. He stopped by another kid, a senior that they recognised from the wrestling team. Vicky pulled in, pretending to drink her milkshake.

"I didn't know that Mal knew Tad." She commented.

"He doesn't as far as I know." Spike answered. He had learned a lot from listening to his mom's stories, and was pretty observant. Mal and Tad looked around, before pulling away into a corridor. Spike gestured to Vicky to follow him quietly.

They made their way across, stopping at the end of the corridor, where Spike glanced around, listening intently.

"Alright, these things are pretty strong, but Mr Edwards assured me that you drama types don't have to worry about piss testing." Tad told him, reaching into his pocket. Spike had to strain to see, but he could see that he was holding something wrapped in tinfoil. "Some football players used to use this stuff, until the state started random testing for it."

"Are you sure it'll help?" Mal asked him. Tad just smiled.

"Trust me, half the team wouldn't have been standing in the 2010 season if it wasn't for this." He assured him. "Three of these a day, and not only will the damaged tissue heal faster, but you'll notice a little bit of a kick in your workouts too."

"How much?" Mal asked him.

"Fifty for a weeks' supply." Tad told him. Mal rummaged around in his pockets, finding the money and handing it over. Tad just checked it, smiling, before handing him the package.

"You made a good choice Berkowsky." Tad told him. "Come back if you need any more."

Mal put away the package, before heading back out of the corridor. He was grabbed roughly by Spike and shoved into the wall.

"What the hell?"

"Is this your plan now?" Spike demanded. "You're going to start using to get through your audition?"

"Spike, you don't understand..."

"I know a drug deal when I see it!" Spike interrupted him. "Tad's a dealer! You just took part in a crime!"

"And you're not a cop!" Mal spat in defiance. "Now, unless you plan to call the cops, let me go before I do!"

Spike just shook his head in disgust, letting Mal go.

"This is wrong Mal." Spike told him. Mal just shook his head.

"You don't know what you're talking about." He answered as he left. Vicky held Spike as they watched him go.

"What are we going to do?" Vicky asked him.

"There's not much I can do." Spike answered. "I don't want to get him charged; this is the first time he's done anything like this...as far as I know."

"But his knee..."

"I'm not going to let him ruin his future either." Spike assured her. He sighed as he collected his thoughts. "Uncle Bulk told me where Mrs Kaplan's house is. We can tell her and let her handle it."

"But she'll..."

"She'll not want a scandal in her school, not so soon after the shooting at least." Spike interrupted her. "She'll figure something out."

Back at the Shiba House, Lauren was just pulling back on her jersey, while Antonio, Kevin, Ji and Brenda sat on the couch, completely in shock. Kevin and Antonio in particular looked like they wanted to be sick after what they had seen.

"Lauren...we had no idea..."

"This is exactly what I wanted to avoid." She interrupted Ji. "This is why I didn't tell any of them."

"But...what you went through..."

"I don't want sympathy. I just want to forget about it." Lauren stated flatly. "All I want, is to ensure that no one will ever go through what I did."

She slumped down on a chair, and looked to Kevin regretfully. He had only ever offered his unquestioning loyalty, accepted her when he had no reason to think she meant more to the cause than anyone else in the house, but it was the fear of losing that which had prompted her into action. She knew that despite Emily being the heart of the team, and Mike was the one they looked to in times of doubt; Kevin was the one they always expected to follow the right path in the war. If she lost him, then there was no way she could expect the others to follow her.

"All my life I've been on my own." She told them. "You're all really lucky. I've had more sensei and attendants than I can count over the years, but I've never had a good friend."

Kevin got off his chair, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, you have one now." He told her. She smiled hearing this. The one thing she feared was that someone would see the brand and get the wrong idea. She always feared that knowing this about her would turn the others against her, but seeing Kevin's reaction, it was all too much for her. She broke down in tears.

Antonio came across, placing a hand on her other shoulder.

"You can count me in that category too." Antonio assured her. "You're Jayden's sister. Which, I guess in a way, kind of makes you like a sister to me too."

"Yeah, that was a bit of a surprise, I've got to admit." Lauren answered, wiping away some tears. "I'll have to ask you about that."

Just then, the Gap Sensor sounded. Antonio looked to the map, seeing the energy signatures.

"It's Moogers, big ones." He told her. "I guess the Netherworld are getting desperate to keep us busy."

"What do you want us to do?" Kevin asked her. Lauren looked to him, then to Antonio, Ji and Brenda. This was so much more than she could ever have hoped for once someone found out her secret. They trusted her enough to be looking to her for guidance.

"I...I need to use the Zords for the giant Moogers." She told them. "Antonio, you join me. Kevin, you and Mentor deal with the others."

She looked to Kevin, the one that had always been taken as the second-in-command. He just smiled and nodded.

"That sounds like a plan to me." He answered as they all got up, running out of the house.

At the site of the duel, Dayu was being battered from pillar to post. With three Rangers to contend with, especially three Rangers who now focused all their attention on her, believing that destroying her was the most expedient route to helping Serena, she had little left to offer.

Blood flowed from several wounds, and by now she was only parrying the occasional strike more by accident than design. She didn't care though, keeping her eye on the battle in the fire-ring, she knew she only had to hold on just a little longer.

She was sent to her knees as Jayden slashed across her abdomen, bringing her down. Mike kicked the short sword from her hand, before he and Jayden held her arms fast. She looked up as Emily approached.

"Wait Yellow Ranger!" She called out. "Just a little longer, please!"

"You...you're begging me?" Emily asked her. "You actually have the audacity to beg me?"

"Please, just listen to me!" Dayu pleaded with her. "This has to happen!"

"My sister..."

"Your sister has a destiny, one that I've done everything I can to facilitate!" Day continued to plead with her as tears ran down her face. "I've seen you both, seen how much you care for each other, how much you believe in each other, just please...have that faith in your sister now!"

Emily searched her heart, and found herself compelled to believe Dayu in this instance. She lowered her Spin Sword.

"Emily, what are you doing?" Mike asked her. "Finish her!"

"I will." Emily told him. "But only if she's lying."

"Emily, what are you doing?" Jayden asked her.

"I'm believing in Serena." She told them, turning to the fire ring.

Serena took another hard shot, but delivered a telling bow to Dekker's sword arm in return. Her armour took an incredible amount of damage, but felt so light; it barely affected her movement at all. Pieces of it had been smashed free, but it was holding up, stopping Urumasa's edge from taking her apart more than once.

In return, Dekker was now bleeding heavily. Serena saw him staggering, and brought Kasamune across his chest twice in a quick cross formation, before flicking Urumasa out of his hand. Dekker fell to the ground in his human form, at which Urumasa came down, piercing his left thigh, pinning him to the ground. He called out in pain, before looking up, seeing Serena stepping through the heat ripples. Her helmet segmented and disappeared, allowing him to see her face. She was bleeding from the nose and mouth, and she was breathing heavily, but he could see the situation. He was helpless. He was beaten. It was finally over.

"I should have known it would be you." Dekker said, forcing a smile through his agony. "Your blade is the only one Urumasa has ever feared."

"It's over Dekker." Serena told him as she powered down her armour.

"Not quite." Dekker told her. He sat up, exposing his throat. He closed his eyes. "Finish it."

Serena drew Kasamune back over her shoulder, preparing to strike. She let out a huge cry, spinning around, and bringing her blade down in its destructive arc, sending all the power of the disk down the blade. As it connected with Urumasa, the two blades shattered, and a powerful blast sent her flying and flattened the flames of the fire ring.

Serena could barely see, her vision blurred from the blast as she looked up, seeing only the hilt of Kasamune, and a short, ragged piece of the broken blade a little way from her hand. The Power Disk crumbled to a few pieces, and the blade and handle disintegrated. As she pulled herself up to a seated position, aided by Emily, she saw the same thing happening with Urumasa.

Dekker got to his feet, and looked down at himself. His injuries were all healed, and his clothes replaced with brilliantly ornate robes. He patted himself down, before looking around.

"Dekker!" Dayu called out. It was only then that Jayden and Mike looked, and realised she was also human, dressed in a beautiful, flowing gown. She ran to the man she loved, throwing herself into his arms. He spun her around, before looking to her in awe.

"Dayu?" He asked her. She just nodded.

"It's over." She told him. "It's finally over."

They drew in, kissing passionately. As they parted a little way, Dekker looked to Serena.

"Thank you Blessed Warrior." Dekker said sincerely, giving her a respectful bow. He turned back to Day, embracing her warmly in a passionate kiss. The Rangers all watched as the two aged centuries in a matter of seconds, before turning to dust and scattering into the wind.

"What just happened?" Mike asked.

"They're finally free." Serena explained with a smile. "They've both lived beyond their time, but now they're finally together forever."

"But...what about..."

"Dayu was a lot smarter than we thought." Serena explained. "Urumasa's curse was based on anger, hatred and rage. The reason there's always been a cursed warrior is because when one was destroyed, the one who destroyed him did so in battle, so all that would ever happen is that the one to destroy the Cursed Warrior would take his place."

"Now I don't feel quite so bad about losing." Jayden commented.

"Kasamune was designed as its exact opposite. It was designed to work based on compassion." Serena continued, finally understanding the legends in the way Day had obviously hoped they were intended. "So when I struck, I didn't want to take out Dekker, I didn't hate him or want him to suffer, I wanted to destroy Urumasa's rage."

She then looked to the others.

"In a battle between hatred and compassion, there'll never be a contest." She stated.

"So...Urumasa's gone for good?" Mike asked her.

"It looks like it." Serena sighed. "It looks like Kasamune is too. It only existed to destroy Urumasa."

Just then, they heard their Samuraizers bleeping. Mike answered it.

"Mike, there's a Mooger convention downtown!" Kevin stated. "Move your ass!"

"On it!" Mike stated. He looked to Emily. "We're needed."

"I don't think it's just us." Emily answered, looking to Jayden.

"No, I can't." Jayden told them. "I'll be going..."

"Jayden, stop!" Emily pleaded with him. "You're part of this team, you always have been!"

"Do you think we care if you're not the real head of the Shiba Clan?" Mike asked him. "You've been the one that kept us going, kept us fighting, believed in us for two years!"

"It's because of you I didn't pack my bags and go on that first day that I screwed up and hit you with my Earth Slicer." Emily reminded him. Jayden couldn't look at them. "We want you on the team, even if you are just a Ranger."

"If you think all of this, everything we've faced over the last two years means nothing, then at least have the guts to say it to our faces." Mike snapped. Jayden turned around, a single tear running down his cheek. He couldn't say a word. After everything, al the lies, all the deceit, they still risked their lives for him, just to bring him home.

"That's what I thought." Mike told him. He flipped out his Samuraizer. "Mia, Serena will be coming to take care of Terry. Get your ass downtown."

"Me?" Serena asked. "I just beat the freaking Cursed Warrior!"

"And you lied to us to come out here to face him." Emily reminded her. "Don't think we won't be talking about that."

As Emily, Mike and Jayden ran off, Serena just sighed.

"I guess we deserve that." She grumbled, getting up, groaning as she did.


	13. Jayden Comes Home

**A/N:** Just a quick note to explain a few things. Firstly, and most importantly, I'm drawing out the time-scale a little. So no, Master Xandred is not showing up yet. I also wanted to clear up something. In the UK, the series has actually concluded. I do know what happens, I just intend not to write a word-for-word re-hash of the series, or the Sentai it's based on. If something I'm doing is different, you can rest assured, I have an idea behind how I'm incorporating it into the storyline. Hopefully you enjoy my interpretation of things.

Jayden, Mike, Emily and Mia ran through the city, heading for the site of the battle. Despite everything, despite the savage battle with Dekker, and the fact that he really just wanted to go home to soak in a long bath and sleep for a week, he was uplifted by Mike's insistence that he come with them.

He had always worried that their loyalties would be divided by Lauren's arrival, and he hoped that removing himself from the equation would resolve the issue, but after hearing Mike and Emily plead with him, begging him to come back, he finally came to the conclusion that he had, if anything, done more harm than good. He had divided the team, exactly as he had feared.

Arriving in the street, they could see that Kevin and Ji were in the midst of a wild battle with Moogers, holding them off, while Lauren and Antonio took care of the giant Moogers with the Claw Armour Megazord. Jayden followed suit as his team all morphed, ploughing into the battle to help their friends.

"Jayden?" Kevin called out as the Red Ranger arrived.

"We can save the reunion for later." Jayden told him. "Lauren, you're the boss. What do we do?"

"I could use a hand up here. There are too many of them." She told him. "I'm calling the Bull Zord. The rest of you, clear the streets. There are still people down there!"

"Sounds like a plan!" Mike responded. "Come on Em, I saw some people down this way! Let's give them a hand!"

In the cockpit of the Claw Armour Megazord, Lauren smiled as she called out the Bull Zord, transferring the control disk across for her brother to use. She had hated seeing him leave, and now that he was back, she couldn't help feeling overjoyed. She had her brother back, and this time, she wasn't going to let him leave again.

In another part of town, Spike made his way to the door of an apartment block. He had quickly gotten used to the fact that in Panorama City, it was surprisingly easy to get about during the many monster attacks. Anyone sensible generally cleared the streets and hid when trouble started, meaning that the streets were usually clear. He couldn't help thinking briefly about the Rangers. Knowing who they were, what they faced, the battles meant something different to him now. He was in the unique position of having once even been a Ranger, albeit as the result of a spell, and only for one battle. The battles meant something different to him now that the Rangers were people he knew, and not faceless helmets.

He arrived at the apartment block, checking the names on the intercom for the one he was looking for. He pressed the button, and waited for an answer.

"Who is it?" He heard a male voice ask.

"My name's Spike Skullovitch." He answered. "I'm here to see Mrs Kaplan."

"Ah, Mr Skullovitch! My wife mentioned you were one of her students!" He answered. Spike heard the buzzer, indicating that the door had been unlocked. Heading inside, he made his way up the stairs.

He got to the door, knocking gently, at which the door opened. A man, who he presumed was Mr Kaplan, answered the door. He was grateful that he appeared to no longer wear his toupee. His dad had told him many stories about the unconvincing and comically bad toupee that had been something of a running joke among the kids at Angel Grove High when he was a kid. Obviously his wife had somehow convinced him to just give up on it, probably just as well. He doubted that he would be happy if the first time they met, Spike struggled to stop himself from laughing in his face.

"Well, I see Anne wasn't kidding when she said you were the spitting image of your father." Mr Kaplan greeted the young man as he showed him in. "I'm sure he told you how interesting he made my job when he was a student."

"He mentioned he spent quite a bit of time in your office." Spike agreed. "I won't keep you long; I just wanted to speak to your wife quickly."

"Of course, I'll just call her." Mr Kaplan told him. "Anne, Spike is here to see you."

Mrs Kaplan came into the room, looking to Spike curiously.

"Spike, what are you doing out?" She asked him. "Don't you know there's a monster attack going on?"

"I'm pretty much used to it by now." Spike told her. "Look, I'm sorry to disturb you at home, but I wanted to talk to you about Mal."

"Mal?" She asked him, taking a seat. "What about him?"

"I'm just...I'm really worried about him." Spike told her. He didn't really want to rat on a friend, especially when the issue was potentially so serious. Problems with drugs in school athletics had gotten so bad that random drug testing wasn't unknown. Unfortunately, it was largely restricted to the athletics department. Everyone knew that other students used drugs, but the issue hardly ever seemed to come up. "You know he tried out for the musical right?"

"Yes, I understand Mr Edwards was very impressed with his performance." She told him. "In fact, he's delaying the casting to see how Mal's injury is progressing."

"Yeah, about that." Spike sighed. "I think Mal's so desperate to get this part that he's...doing things he shouldn't."

"Oh?" She asked him. "Like what?"

"I just...I think he might be pushing himself too hard." Spike stammered, trying to find a way to convince her to intervene without explaining about the drugs. He just wanted Mal to be safe, he didn't want him to get into trouble for buying drugs. If he didn't end up with a criminal record, he could be suspended, even expelled. At best, a note would be made of it on his permanent record; something Spike doubted would help his chances of getting into college. "I was wondering if maybe you could talk to Mr Edwards; convince him not to give Mal the part or something."

"Spike..."

"I know, I feel lousy about asking you too, it's just..." His words tailed off as he tied to find some way to explain. "I don't see the point in Mal risking everything for this one part. There'll be other plays. If he does this, he could do permanent damage to his knee. He could...he could end up losing everything."

"You're a good friend." Mrs Kaplan told him. "I can see you're really worried about him, but I can't just go telling Mr Edwards what to do with his department."

"But you're the principal!" Spike protested.

"Mr Edwards has been a drama teacher for ten years. He's put on a number of plays. I doubt he'll do anything to put Mal in danger of serious injury."

"But..."

"That's the end of it Spike." Mrs Kaplan told him. "I appreciate you're worried, but this is final. I'd also suggest that unless you want to end up in trouble yourself, you have something a little stronger than just an accusation before you start saying things that can really damage people's reputation."

"I think...I think Mal might have bought drugs." Spike told her. Mrs Kaplan paused as she heard him say this. "You know that athletes sometimes use steroids to heal injuries faster? I think Mal might be doing the same thing."

"Spike..."

"I also think that maybe it wasn't exactly his idea." Spike pressed on.

"What gives you that idea?" She asked in response.

"Mal takes his dancing seriously. He works out like crazy, even more than most of the football team." He told her. "He's never smoked, he doesn't drink...hell, he's barely had anything stronger than a Red Bull before now. He wouldn't know where to start looking for drugs. I think that Mr Edwards might have pointed him in the right direction."

"I think that's quite enough." She put down flatly. "Now, I suggest you don't repeat these accusations unless you have some evidence to support them. Slander is a very serious matter."

Spike realised he was smashing his head against a wall, and got up, looking at her dejectedly.

"Mom and dad always spoke very highly of you." He stated, before shaking his head. "I'm sorry I wasted your time."

"Just as long as this is the last we'll be hearing of this." Mrs Kaplan said with a little smile. "It's good that you came to me. If you involved anyone else, then it might have gone further than I could stop."

"I'll just head home." Spike answered. "It was nice to meet you Mr Kaplan!"

"Say hello to your parents and you uncle for me!" Mr Kaplan called after him as Spike left. He looked to his wife. "He really is a lot like his father."

"More than you know." She answered. "Now, what's for dinner?"

At the Shiba House, Terry came to, finding that his injuries had been tended to, and Serena sitting by the bed. He smiled as he saw her.

"Now, that's a sight to wake up to." He stated. Her jaw clenched as she heard him speaking. He could see she wasn't happy. "So, I'm guessing that things went well with Dekker?"

"He's gone." She answered. "Dayu is too."

"Well, I guess all this was worth it." He commented. Serena just glared at him.

"You took on Dekker unarmed!" She reminded him. "Your suit was a Halloween costume! Your sword was made of freaking plastic!"

"That's why I didn't use it on him." Terry said weakly. Serena stated smacking him in the chest. "Ow, hey, injured man here!"

"Do you have any idea how stupid that was?" She screamed at him, continuing to pound on him. "You complete, irresponsible, half baked idiotic jackass!"

"You were too far away, Jayden was down!" Terry told her. "I had to do something!"

"You know about Stephen! You know what happened to him!" She screamed at him, pulling away. "Do you know what it did to me seeing that happen to you?"

"Serena..."

"I've already lost one person I love to this war, I can't lose another!" She stated, a tear starting to roll down her face. Terry slowly started to sit up, looking at her with a shocked expression on his face.

"Did...did you just say...?" He stammered, trying to think. Serena realised what she had said, and looked a little alarmed.

"I..."

Before she could say another word, he grabbed her, pulling her in and kissing her passionately. He had been drawn to her, he admired her for so long, but he wasn't sure that she could feel the same way about him. Hearing it from her own mouth, he couldn't help himself. As he parted from her, he smiled.

"Terry..."

"I've been crazy about you for so long." He admitted. "I never would have thought that you'd ever see me that way."

"I never thought you'd think I was worth the effort." Serena told him, wiping away a few tears. "I kind of come with a lot of baggage."

"I guess it's just as well I'm into crazy chicks then." He answered, pulling her in and kissing her again.

The Rangers came back from their battle, decidedly upbeat and cheerful. Brenda in particular was delighted as she saw Jayden coming back with them. Antonio and Jayden were walking with him, insisting on helping him, but he just seemed to be embarrassed by all the fussing.

"You know, this really isn't necessary." Jayden told them. "I'm fine, really."

"Dude, you just took out Dekker, and a major Mooger invasion in one day." Mike reminded him, heading off to get them some drinks. "Milk it a little won't you?"

"You know, it was really great fighting alongside you today." Lauren told him, smiling a little as she put her arm around her brother. "Maybe there is room for more than one Red Ranger on this team."

"It'll take some getting used to, but I've got no objection." Mia commented.

"I've always believed in the more the merrier." Emily said with a smile. Jayden looked around, unable to contain his joy. His team wanted him back. Lauren, Mike, Emily, Mia...they had all told him that. He didn't need to ask Ji or Antonio what they thought on the matter. Their faces told the whole story. There was only one of the team that hadn't told him what they thought.

"Kevin?" Jayden asked. "I notice you're pretty quiet on the whole thing."

Kevin just looked around the others, and back to Jayden.

"Come." Jayden told him, gesturing to the door. "Ji, order something in for dinner would you?"

As they left, Kevin got outside, and turned around to face Jayden. Jayden saw him standing with his hands on his hips. Of all the Rangers, Kevin had been the one to take the revelation of his secret to heart the most. He knew it was him that he had the most to appease.

"I want to come home Kevin." Jayden told him. "I want to come home, but I'm only willing to do that if the decision is unanimous."

"It's not my place..."

"You can feel free to tell me how you feel Kevin. We've come too far for that." Jayden assured him. "I don't see you as one of my team, I see you as my family. There're no lines here."

"I thought there was." Kevin muttered. Jayden took a deep breath.

"Look, I get it." Jayden told him. "I do. Out of all of us, myself included, you're the one who took the whole Samurai lifestyle to heart the most."

Jayden stated to pace as he gathered his thoughts.

"You were the first, the most eager to accept me as your Shogun." Jayden told him. "The others were surprised when they found out about Lauren, but you...do you know what I saw when I looked in your eyes?"

"Enlighten me." Kevin answered.

"Betrayal." Jayden answered. "I'm sorry about the lies. I'm sorry about the secrecy, it wasn't my choice..."

"But it WAS your choice!" He snapped. "I trusted you without question. I believed in you. All I asked in return was a little honesty! Was that too much to ask?"

"It wasn't personal." Jayden assured him. "I haven't considered myself your Shogun for some time. You're my friend."

"Friends respect each other." Kevin answered. Jayden put a hand on his shoulder.

"I've always respected you. I'm sorry if anything I've said has made you believe any different." Jayden said apologetically. "You know, some people think you and I are the most alike, but I've always thought there was one main difference."

"What's that?" Kevin asked him.

"I never had a choice in any of this. These decisions were made for me when I was a kid." Jayden concluded. "You chose this life. You had the opportunity to walk away and you didn't. You gave up everything in your life when you didn't have to. That's something I respect more than anything."

With that, Jayden pulled him in, hugging him. Kevin hugged him in response. He had hated what he felt when Jayden's secret had come to light. More than anything, he felt like he had been made fun of. Now though, he appreciated that Jayden was making amends.

"I still need there to be no mistakes." Jayden told him. "Lauren's still the leader, that much isn't going to change, but if you'll have me, if the decision is unanimous, I'm willing to come back."

"I'd be honoured to have you." Kevin answered. "Jayden, there is just one thing. It's about Lauren."

"What about her?" Jayden asked the Blue Ranger.

"She has something to tell us." Kevin told him. "I don't think it's going to be easy to hear. I just wanted to warn you."

"She's my sister." Jayden answered. "Whatever it is, I'll be there for her."

Meanwhile, at the site of the duel, Octoroo was wandering around, surveying the scene. It was now some time since Dekker and Dayu's passing.

"Well Dayu, it looks like you finally got what you wanted. You and Dekker are finally at peace." He commented, finding her discarded Harmonium. She had dropped it during the battle to concentrate on her opponents. He smiled as he picked it up. "Still, it looks like you did one last favour before you passed. I suppose you had your uses after all."


	14. Lauren's Story

Kevin and Jayden got back into the Living Room. Kevin seemed to be a lot happier than when he had left the room. Jayden had gone to talk with him, apologise to him for all the lies and the deceit. While the others hadn't been happy about it at first, they were generally more concerned with how it affected the team as a whole than with the secret in and of itself. Kevin had taken it more to heart, as a personal insult, than the others.

As they sat down, Jayden made sure he sat by his sister. She smiled a little nervously, but seemed to take a measure of comfort as he rested a hand on her arm. Although they didn't really know each other all that well, having only just been reunited after being separated for fifteen years, they both still felt something of a connection. The details were always the most difficult, actually talking, figuring out where they stood in each others' lives...these were things they hadn't yet figured out, but they still felt the same bond they'd had as kids. She could guess that Kevin had probably said something to Jayden about what had happened to her.

As Ji came back in, he looked around the room.

"Dinner should be here in about half an hour." He informed them. Lauren took a deep breath as he said this, trying to prepare herself. "In the meantime, I suppose it would be a good time for a team meeting."

"Alright, I just wanted to clear up some things." Jayden announced, unintentionally interrupting Lauren. "As you know, I've agreed to come back. I've agreed to stay and rejoin the team."

Mike smiled hearing this.

"I thought you might like to hear that." Jayden announced. "However, my reason for leaving is still valid."

"Now that Serrator, Dekker and Dayu are all gone, only Xandred and Octoroo are left." Ji reminded them. "While that means less power at their disposal..."

"And it's not like Xandred was exactly short of power." Mike grumbled. "I still get sore just thinking about the last time."

"Exactly." Jayden agreed. "Unfortunately, that also means that he no longer has any distractions from his main objective."

"His main objective?" Emily asked. "You mean us don't you?"

"Which is why now, more than ever we need to be certain about one course of action. We can't have any distractions ourselves." Jayden told them. "I just wanted to make it clear that while I'm back, while I'm going to fight on the team...Lauren's still the leader."

Lauren looked to him, and he smiled back, squeezing her am gently.

"Lauren's still the one with the Sealing Symbol." Jayden reminded them. "From what I've heard, there was a little bit of a rocky start, but she's been a good leader in my absence. It was always her place to be the leader. So, I'm stepping down for her. Lauren's taking the lead from here on out. Do we all agree?"

Lauren looked around the room. Mia, Emily, Ji and Kevin all nodded in agreement. That only left Antonio and Mike to answer. Jayden looked to Antonio.

"Well, whichever way we go the leader's in red right?" Antonio asked in response. "I'm a little biased on which way I'd have preferred this to go, but if Jayden trusts you, then I will too."

"Thanks Antonio." Jayden stated. He then looked to Mike. "Well Mike, that just leaves you."

Mike seemed a little uneasy. Lauren was worried about him; he was always the hardest to win over. Of all the others, she could see that Mike admired Jayden the most. Emily had explained how Mike had looked up to Jayden the most when he arrived at the house. Coming in, feeling like he knew everything, and being a little cocky about his duties, it was seeing the difference between where he was in his training, and where Jayden and Kevin were that lit a fire under him. He had longed to match Jayden, to make him proud.

When Jayden had left, Mike had taken it personally, and blamed Lauren for his decision. He had blamed Lauren for Jayden's decision to leave, and he had been very vocal about the point. He had accepted her as a substitute, but she always got the impression that he was still hopeful that Jayden's return would mean a return to the way things were.

Mike looked to Jayden, and then to Lauren.

"You've done a good job." He told her. "I guess I'm in."

"Now that's settled, I guess it's time to turn the floor over to our leader." Jayden stated as he looked to Lauren. "The team's yours. You know they're a good team, and I'm looking forward to joining it."

Lauren shifted a little in her seat, pulling her arm away from Jayden a little. She looked around the room at the other Samurai, and she knew that the time was now. He team had given her their trust, now she owed them. Looking to Kevin, she just nodded.

"I really appreciate what you've all done tonight." She stated, standing up. "You've all shown a lot of faith in me, and a lot of trust. However, it's been pointed out to me that if I'm going to expect that of you, then perhaps I need to offer you something a little more than my word."

She started to pace, shifting a little nervously as she tried to think of where to begin.

"You already know what happened on the night of the last battle." She told them. "I was taken from the Shiba House, and from there, I was taken underground. For my whole life, I was taken to different safe houses, given different attendants and sensei all over the world, all tasked with only one thing."

"To prepare you for the day you would seal Xandred away." Mia answered. Lauren just nodded.

"I was never anywhere longer than three months." She explained. "It was decided that it would only put people in danger, put me at risk of being discovered if I was allowed to put down any roots. So, once I had learned what I could in one household, I was packed up and shipped off to the next."

"That...that sounds really lonely." Emily said sympathetically. Before the Shiba House, she had only ever lived on the farm. She knew every inch of her parents' land. She knew everyone in her home town, even the other kids, most of whom she wished she hadn't known. She had always had Serena and her parents. No matter how tough life got, whenever she'd had a rough day at school, whenever she had been hurt or upset, she always had that to rely on. From the sounds of it, that was something Lauren never had.

"It was just something I was used to." She stated. "There were a few times that I was moved in the middle of the night, or without any notice. They kept me moving just to reduce the chances that I would be found. Everyone was always so paranoid that I'd be found. That was until my last place."

She fell a little quieter as she tried to compose her thoughts.

"It was a little farm. It wasn't much, but it was really peaceful." She told them. "It was run by a really nice family. They had a daughter, Esther. She was a really cute kid. She was about the same age I was when I left home. She was so fascinated by having another person in the house, she kept following me around everywhere, begging me to play with her or watch TV with her. It drove me nuts for a while, but eventually I started to really like being there. I had something other than just training."

"So what happened?" Mike asked her. She just sighed.

"They got a warning that they thought some Nighlock were in the area." She informed them. "I was advised to go, but I ended up staying. I couldn't bear to leave them until I knew they'd be safe. I'd always been told that the constant moving was only a precaution, that no one knew where I was, so I refused to go."

She then started to shed a few tears as she thought about that night.

"A couple of nights later, the farm was overrun with Moogers." She recalled. "I was told to go, to run and go into hiding, but when I heard Esther screaming, I couldn't leave them. So, I went back and I fought them as long as I could."

"I tried, I really tried to save them, but I didn't have a Samuraizer, or any weapons." She sniffed as she looked around the others. "Eventually, they managed to overpower me. They killed everyone, and they burned down the farm, but not before they dragged me away."

"You were kidnapped?" Jayden asked her.

"They dragged me into a Gap." She explained to her brother. "It was only when they got me through the Gap that I realised they had taken me into the Dark Zone."

"The Dark Zone?" Jayden gasped. "You were...you were really there?"

"I thought humans couldn't live in the Netherworld." Mike responded.

"Normally they can't, but the Forge Master really wanted me there." Lauren answered. "He locked me in special chains that allowed me to live in the Dark Zone. He kept me chained, locked up like an animal, all so he could use my symbol power to fuel his furnace and create his weapons."

She pulled off her jersey, exposing her upper body. Antonio, Benda, Ji and Kevin had all already seen the true extent of her scarring. Burn scars covered most of her upper body and torso. A few in perfectly straight lines, like irons or tools indicated that the burns were not accidental. They were deliberate torture. The Rangers looked decidedly ill seeing how horrendously she had been mistreated.

"I was there for a year and a half, being tortured every day, forced to make his furnace burn." She told them. "I was even forced to help re-forge Urumasa. That was when I escaped. He tried to attack whoever took Urumasa to be re-forged. Then there was an explosion. My chains fell free, and I knew I might not get another chance, so I ran. I hitched a ride back through the Gap with the other Nighlock...I ended up waking up in a hospital in New Zealand."

She pulled back on her jersey, straightening herself out.

"No one knows more about the cruelty of the Nighlock than I do." She put down flatly. "It's vital that we seal them all away for good. If we can't manage this, then no one will. The world, the whole of humanity is relying on us. We can't fail."

Just then, they heard a knock at the door. Ji got up, heading for the door.

"That will be dinner." He said quietly to the others. "Would you all help me prepare the kitchen?"

They all filed out of the room, passing Lauren. Emily put a hand on her shoulder, looking to her sympathetically, before heading out with the others. Only Jayden remained behind. She turned and looked to her brother.

"Jayden, I..."

He just grabbed his sister, pulling her in and hugging her tightly. Lauren was more than a little stunned, but eventually, tentatively, she wrapped her arms around him, holding him warmly.

"Lauren, I had no idea." He stated.

"I don't want you to think of me as weak." She told him as they parted. "I've used what happened to me as my motivation to get here for six months. I've dreamt of the day that I'd end the threat of the Nighlock for good. To make sure that nothing like this can ever happen to anyone ever again."

"I'm just sorry that no one was there for you when you needed it." Jayden told her. He smiled at her as she looked at him. "I promise you, I'll always be here for you. You'll never have to face odds like that alone again."

With that' Lauren pulled into him, burying her face in his chest as she hugged him tightly. The others now knew the truth about what had happened to her, and they were still willing to follow her. More than that, she had her brother back, and he had sworn to be by her side throughout the coming war. She was no longer alone.


	15. Lauren's Issues

The following Morning, Lauren was up before the others, yet again. Despite protests, she had taken the camping bed, which they set up in the dojo. The Shiba House was already full to capacity between the Rangers and the assorted...well...Lauren wasn't really sure what to call all the others who stuck around to help them, when she left the house, Ji was the only non-Ranger in the house other than her and Jayden.

Serena, she understood had been there to master the power of the ancient weapon Kasamune. She had been brought in on a special mission to rid the world of the Cursed Warrior for good. She had accomplished that, though in the process, Kasamune, and the power that went with it had been destroyed, meaning that now, she had no real power beyond the rudimentary Symbol Power they could all access without their Samuraizers. She often helped them in training, and maintaining the house, much like Ji did, but other than that, she was just another person in the house.

Terry had arrived when Mia briefly needed to be replaced, though now that she was back in action, again he only had rudimentary Symbol Power. He did though, have the added benefit of a couple of years of medical school under his belt, meaning that he was far more qualified than Mia or Ji as a medic, and had largely taken on this role in the house.

Brenda was the one she had to get used to the most. If she was asked at first, she was a distraction. She didn't really contribute anything of note to the house, and Ji's attention was now split largely between his duties to the team, and her, due to her position as his wife, and the expectant mother of his child. She had to admit being a little freaked when she first saw her. She knew about "the facts of life", but in her travels, none of her attendants or sensei had ever actually been pregnant. One or two of them had kids, but none of them were actually pregnant while she was there. The thought of her having a life growing inside her was a little hard for Lauren to really get her head around. She'd had the odd thought over the years of one day having a family herself, but all of that was always on the back-burner. It was always "someday", with her focus being on the task and the war ahead of her.

Tying the laces of her trainers, she reached for her tack suit jacket, looking once again to her scars. Now the others knew about them, she couldn't explain how she felt. There was something of a weight lifted from her shoulders, since now she had no secrets from the others. All of the secrets, unless any of THEM had any more surprises, were now out in the open, and more than that, they had accepted her. They hadn't questioned her, or doubted her. The band of the Forge Master on her shoulder was something that especially had worried her. She had always feared that if they found out she had been branded as his property, that they would think that meant she was a willing servant, that they would doubt her loyalty. However, that was not the case.

The thing that worried her now though was something she had seen, especially in Emily. She doubted the Yellow Ranger meant anything by it, but the way she looked at her as she left the room after Lauren's revelation was something that she had hoped to avoid. She felt sorry for her, all of them did. It was, in some ways understandable, but she was sure the team had all faced their trials. She had even been caught up on a few of them by Ji's extensive records. The one thing she wanted though, that she was sure she'd need if they were to follow her, was their confidence. There was no room for weakness, especially in a leader. She had to be strong, confident, and most of all, she needed to be untouchable, invulnerable. If they felt sorry for her now, how would they respect her when their lives depended on her?

She pulled on her jersey, before heading out into the Living Room. She saw Kevin, stretching off, preparing for his run, and for a moment, she thought about joining him. However, she couldn't help thinking about the fact that he had been the one that had made her tell the others about her ordeal at the hands of the Forge Master. She knew that he had his reasons for his outburst, but right now, she was all too keenly aware of the fact that right now, she was left in the position of having to prove herself once again to a team who would have to trust her with their lives.

She quietly made her way out the door, taking care not to disturb him, and closed it behind her, before heading off down the path on her run. She would have a chance to show the others what she was made of in time, but for now, she just wanted to be on her own. It was what she was used to.

Over at Central High School, despite it being Saturday, there were kids assembling outside. Mr Edwards had delayed his final decision for casting a few times, but he had now finally told them that today, he would make his final decisions. He had told them that he had made most of his decisions, but he needed to see a few of them again to ensure the strongest cast for his production.

Melanie was outside the main auditorium, pacing intently as she waited for the casting list to go up, or to hear her name called out for another audition. She wasn't overly concerned, but not because she didn't want a good part. She, like Mal, had high hopes of getting a leading role in the production to put on her resume for when she started applying for colleges. It was more because of what was going on with Mal.

He still insisted on coming to the auditions, and pushing himself hard in his training. She chewed her nails nervously as she waited to see any sign of him. Spike, Cody, Jimmy and Vicky had come along for moral support. Vicky put an arm around Melanie, hugging her closely.

"What is taking them so long?" She muttered. "We've been hanging around for ages!"

"Well, I'm no expert in theatre productions, but don't they have a lot of stuff to do on set during a production?" Jimmy asked her. "I'm getting pretty bored too, but isn't this all just part of the process?"

"Boy, this is even more boring than dad's lesson on tool maintenance." Cody grumbled, slumping against a wall. "Seriously, can't they even do anything to make this all a little more interesting?"

Just then, Mr Edwards came out of the door. He looked to his list.

"Malcolm Berkowsky?" He asked. They all looked around to see Mal, sitting a little way off, getting up. Even getting out of the chair by himself, they could see him strongly favouring his good leg. As he made his way towards the door, Spike walked up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"This is a really bad idea." Spike warned him.

"Well, it's my mistake to make don't you think?" Mal asked him. He walked up to the rest of the group, looking to Melanie, who couldn't even look at him. He could swear he saw some tears in her eyes.

"I know what I'm doing." He assured her. "Trust me."

"Just...don't hurt yourself." She whispered in response. He leant in, kissing her cheek, unable to reach her lips, before he went into the theatre.

Spike just clenched his jaw, before looking around. He saw a window open some way up, and looked to Cody.

"You're the free-running expert." Spike stated, pointing to the window. "How do we get up there?"

"Follow me." Cody told him, running and kicking off a wall, before catching an awning, scrambling up. Spike followed his lead, trying his best to copy Cody's moves. He wanted to get into that theatre, he needed to get in. He had given Mal every possible chance to turn back, but now he had to take the choice out of his hands.

They climbed in the window, dropping down onto a catwalk over the stage. Spike got out his phone, activating the video camera in it as Mal limped to the stage.

"So, do I need to audition again?" Mal asked.

"That all depends?" Mr Edwards asked him. "How's the knee?"

"It's a little tender." Mal admitted. "I've been working hard..."

"Let's cut to the chase Mal, have you seen Clyde?" Mr Edwards asked.

"I have." Mal answered.

"Did he hook you up with that medication I recommended?" He pressed on. Mal shifted a little uneasily.

"You mean the steroids?" Mal questioned him. Mr Edwards just sighed in exasperation.

"Well I didn't send you to him for a vitamin shot." He said sarcastically. "Yes, the steroids! Did you get them?"

"I did." Mal answered.

"Then, I really don't think we need to see another audition." Mr Edwards answered waving him off. "You've got the part."

"Wait, you mean...that's it?" Mal asked him. Mr Edwards just looked surprised.

"I thought this was what you wanted." He stated, a little taken aback.

"Yeah, but...you mean...you gave me the part because I got those steroids?" Mal asked incredulously. Mr Edwards just sighed.

"You were easily the best audition I've seen, maybe the best ever." He clarified. "I just needed to be sure you'd be healed enough to be ready by opening night. Just keep taking the stuff Clyde got you, and you will be."

"You know, I'm a pretty good actor too." Mal told him. Just then, a few police officers burst into the room. Mr Edwards looked around, completely taken by surprise. Mrs Kaplan came into view, carrying Mal's crutches, handing them to him.

"Julian Edwards, you are under arrest for the promotion of a controlled substance." One of the officers declared. Mr Edwards looked back to the stage in shock.

"You...you called the police?" He asked. Mal just nodded, striding forwards.

"I wanted that part." Mal told him. "But not like this."

"I think it goes without saying that your services will no longer be required." Mrs Kaplan stated. Mr Edwards was taken away by the officers, at which Mrs Kaplan looked around.

"Now, if you're anything like your father, no doubt you're around here somewhere Spike." She stated. Spike just climbed down a ladder, while Cody opted for a slightly more dramatic entrance, dropping from the catwalk, and rolling to his feet to break the fall. Spike looked between Mal and Mrs Kaplan.

"You...you set this up?" He asked. Mal just smiled.

"You really should have more faith in me." Mal teased him, shoving him slightly. "I guess I'm a better actor than I thought."

"But...you wanted that part so badly." Cody stammered. "You were obsessed!"

"Yes, and I still am." Mal told them. "That's why I've been seeing my doctors on a daily basis to monitor my progress. I've been pushing harder, but they've been keeping track to make sure I don't do anything to permanently damage myself."

"Wait, that's why you warned me off Edwards!" Spike realised, looking to Mrs Kaplan. "You already knew!"

"Mal came to me and told me what Mr Edwards had told him to do." Mrs Kaplan explained. "I already heard that some of his previous productions had some slightly dubious backstage stories, but I didn't have any proof. So, I called the police, and they asked us to play along until we gathered evidence to prove the accusations."

"I imagine Clyde's probably getting taken to the station by now." Mal chipped in. Spike just looked to Mal.

"So, you really never took those drugs?" He asked. Mal just got a cold expression on his face.

"There's already way too much of that kind of thing in show business." He stated bluntly. "People are so desperate to get and keep parts that they start to self-medicate. They take something to get them to sleep during their few breaks, something to wake them up...something for aches and pains...way too many have died young because of that. Heath Ledger died of an accidental overdose at 28 because of his schedule. There's way too much of that happening in the business, and I have no intention of letting it happen to me."

He looked to Mrs Kaplan.

"There's a reason I work out so much. There's a reason I practice every day, and watch what I eat. I do want to be a success, but not if it costs me too much to get it." He assured them. Just then, Melanie and Vicky came in.

"Um...we just saw some cops taking Mr Edwards away and..." Vicky' words tailed off. "What just happened?"

"I'll let Mal explain it." Mrs Kaplan told them. "In the meantime, I have to go and tell a lot of very unhappy students that there will be no play..."

"Wait, why can't there be a play?" Mal asked her.

"It's been nearly twenty years since I directed a play, and that was a rendition of Rapunzel starring Spike's step-mother." She informed him. Spike sniggered; making a mental note to remind his mom of this the next time he spoke to her. "I've never done anything like this..."

"I'll do it." Mal interrupted her. Mrs Kaplan just looked at him.

"What? Actors get behind the camera all the time." He reminded her. "Besides, if I am going to have to miss out on actually being in the play, then a directing credit is the next best thing."

Mrs Kaplan thought about it for a moment. She clearly wasn't convinced.

"Please, you already know no one will work harder than me." He begged her.

"He knows the play backwards!" Melanie added. "No one's as passionate about this as he is!"

"Alright, if you're happy to sit out on the play, then you're the director." Mrs Kaplan told him. "Just...don't say I didn't warn you."

As she left, Mal turned to Melanie.

"Now, the unfortunate thing is, I'm going to have to ask you to audition again in front of everyone." He told her. She furrowed her brows. "I can't have anyone saying you only got the part because you're dating the director now, can I?"

Melanie just grabbed him, hugging him tightly. She had been so worried he'd put his whole future on the line for one performance. She was overjoyed to know that he'd be safe. Spike walked away, just shaking his head as Vicky joined him.

"You know, just when I think I've figured people out, they still find a way to surprise me." He commented, leaving Mal to explain things to Melanie and reconcile with her.

Lauren was running through the park, and stopped for a quick rest by a water fountain. As she started to drink, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Panic gripped her, and she spun, grabbing the wrist of her attacker, kicking his legs out from under him, slamming a hand into his throat, and bearing him to the ground. As she pinned him there, it was only then she realised that it wasn't an attack...beneath her, currently coughing and spluttering...

"J...J...Jeremy?" She stammered, seeing him. It was the guy from the coffee place, Mia, Emily and Serena had taken her to. He forced a smile.

"Wow, remind me not to do that again." He spluttered. "Um...can I get up now?"

Lauren slowly got off him, offering him a hand to get up. He got back to his feet, and Lauren started to dust off his clothes. She felt her face becoming a little warm, and couldn't look at him. She had reacted so quickly, she hadn't realised it was just him.

"I...I guess you're on your way to work?" She asked him. He just smiled.

"Yeah, those caffeine junkies keep pretty crazy hours." He answered, picking up his bag. "It gives me some time to do some course reading before college."

"Right, the philosophy thing." Lauren recalled.

"Say, um...would you like a coffee?" He asked her. "It always tastes best first thing when the first batch of beans have only just been ground."

Lauren just stood before him, the words unable to escape her mouth. Her chest tightened right up, so much she was starting to worry whether or not she'd be able to breathe. Her face flushed and she found herself unable to look at him.

Just then, her Samuraizer bleeped. She flipped it open, holding it to her ear.

"What is it Jayden?" She asked.

"Lauren, where are you?" He asked her. "Octoroo's been sighted by the coast. We're on our way!"

"Alright, just hold on." She told him. "I...um..."

She saw Jeremy looking at her, and realised she couldn't really speak freely.

"Just keep her clam until the ambulance gets there." She told him. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

As she hung up before Jayden could ask what she was talking about, she looked to Jeremy nervously.

"Um...my friend Emily...she had an accident." She rushed out an excuse. She was sure she probably wasn't that convincing, she wasn't used to making up excuses on the lam. Most of the people she'd spoken to were all aware of her secret, making such things unnecessary. "We need to take her to hospital..."

"OK, just go." He assured her. "We'll take a rain check on that coffee OK?"

"Yeah, whatever." She answered as she ran off. Jeremy watched her go, a goofy grin crossing his face. He didn't notice that one of his colleagues from the coffee house had arrived.

"Dude, seriously?" He asked. "She flipped you, strangled you, and then ran off. That girl is seriously extra-strength crazy."

"Maybe." Jeremy answered. His friend just rolled his eyes.

"OK, you're gone." He answered, grabbing Jeremy and pulling him away. "Now come on, the caffeine junkies are waiting."


	16. Lauren's Greatest Battle

Jayden, Antonio, Mike, Mia and Emily arrived on the rocks by the coastline, finding Octoroo just standing, waiting on them. It was an odd move for him, being so direct. Even more than Serrator, he had always chosen to remain on the sidelines. He didn't have the raw power at his disposal Serrator had, so more than any other Nighlock, he always relied on his mind as his most powerful weapon. It was the reason Xandred had kept him around as his tactical advisor for all those years.

Kevin arrived from another path, having been called on his morning run. He looked down the line, noticing someone was missing.

"Where's Lauren?" He asked them. Jayden just furrowed his brows.

"I thought she was with you." He remarked. "I thought..."

"She never joined me on my run today." Kevin informed him. "Mia called me."

"So where is she?" Mike asked.

"She said she's on her way." Jayden assured them, thinking about her call. It was all he could do to keep his mind from going to places he really didn't want it to go. He had always lived with a proverbial bull's eye on his back. He knew what it was to know that he wasn't only a priority target, but THE priority target for the Nighlock his whole life.

Although Octoroo was the only major threat left other than Xandred, they now knew about Lauren, meaning that now she was the one with the crosshairs firmly fixed on her. He was starting to understand now why it angered the Rangers so much all those times he ran off on his own. He couldn't help thinking that when he saw Lauren again he didn't know if his first instinct would be to grab her in his arms, and hug her tightly, grateful to know she was alright, or to scream at her for taking a stupid risk by going off alone, and not taking one of the others for an escort. Kevin went for his run around the same time she did. She should have gone with him.

Mike was about to move, but Jayden held up a hand to stop him, which he did without question. Although they had all agreed to follow Lauren, since she wasn't there, they instinctively looked to Jayden for direction.

"We can't just rush in." Jayden told them. "He's a sneaky bastard. Knowing Octoroo, he's got some kind of trap planned."

"What do you want Octoroo?" Kevin demanded loudly. "Tell us before we turn you into calamari and serve you on a pizza."

"Well, at least it's original." Octoroo answered with a shrug, shaking his head in disbelief. "All the others could come up with for all those years was calling me 'noodle-face'."

"We're not here to discuss your nick-names Octoroo." Jayden stated. "Answer the question. What do you want?"

"You should know better than to ask me that." Octoroo chuckled. "I know better than to just spill all my secrets before the end game."

With that, Moogers started literally crawling out of every crack in the rocky terrain. Dozens of them appeared within seconds, all armed and ready for battle. Looking at the colourings and markings, there appeared to be a mixture of Xandred's and the ones that had been aligned to Serrator.

"I guess now we know what he's been doing in his downtime." Mike commented. "If he brought Serrator's old crew under control..."

"He's doubled the size of Xandred's army." Jayden concluded, pulling out his Samuraizer. "Come on guys, let's get this done!"

"Go Go Samurai!" They all chorused as they ran to the attack.

Not far away, Lauren was running towards the shore. When she was almost there, she could already hear the clash of swords by the time she took a short pause to catch her breath.

Moving to the edge of the cliff, she looked down, seeing that the battle was already underway. Her brother had taken back the lead in her absence. She couldn't help stopping to watch for a moment. The team all functioned fluidly, with minimal communication. They seemed to wordlessly, instinctively know what to do. Jayden could direct them with minimal need for commands, more often than not only a couple of words here or there. It was something that she didn't have with them yet.

At the same time, Jayden also seemed to know instinctively the exact strengths and weaknesses of each of the team. He didn't simply direct the nearest Ranger to a task, he always seemed to weigh up his experience and knowledge of their talents with their current workload, and proximity to the threat, and direct the most suited to the task. She had to admit being impressed. She knew that it was the experience edge he had over her in this situation. He had fought with the team for almost two years. They all knew each other in a way that she couldn't possibly have learned in the couple of weeks since she had arrived. She knew the same strategies Jayden did; she just wasn't as intimately familiar with the team as he was.

"Well thank you for finally gracing us with your presence." Octoroo taunted her as he looked up, seeing Lauren. The Rangers looked up too, seeing her standing on the cliff. Lauren prepared her Samuraizer.

"Who feels like grilled squid?" She called out, morphing before leaping into the middle of the battle. She landed by Octoroo, attacking him.

"Alright guys, Lauren's given us our direction." Jayden told them. "Just keep the Moogers off her."

Meanwhile, Lauren attacked Octoroo, driving him backwards. He was barely able to keep her off him with his staff. Locking into a stalemate, Octoroo looked into her visor.

"It was a strange move coming here Octoroo. You're the only one left." She reminded him. "But don't think that means I'll look this gift horse in the mouth!"

"Just like I didn't all those years ago?" He asked her. Lauren drove the blade of her Spin Sword closer, driving his staff back until it was almost touching his neck.

"What are you talking about Octoroo?" She demanded. "Tell me!"

"The Forge Master's really missing his little pet." He told her. "Maybe once this is over, I'll let you live. Maybe I'll send you back to him."

Jayden was busy with some Moogers, but he couldn't help looking over to where Lauren was fighting Octoroo. He saw her grip relaxing, and she backed away a little. He could swear he saw her trembling.

"What?" She asked him. "How did you know...?"

"The Forge Master was sent to the Dark Zone centuries ago. He couldn't leave; don't you think it was odd that he'd know about you? Didn't you wonder how he managed to command forces that could come to the human realm to capture you?"

She just stared at Octoroo, trying to see what he was getting at. They were both very good questions, one that she had pushed out of her mind, along with her ordeal at the hands of her captor. Octoroo stepped forward.

"I was at the final battle. I was there when you were taken into hiding. I saw you being taken from the house. When I saw the boy being raised as the Red Ranger, I knew who you had to be. That was when I knew how to finally get the position I deserved."

Lauren's grip on her Spin Sword relaxed so much, that it almost fell out of her hand. He smiled as he saw her shaking.

"I knew that I needed you out of the way, but if I had you killed, then the Sealing Power would pass to your brother. I needed to get you out of the way, but I couldn't bring you to the Netherworld, otherwise Master Xandred would have known. So I made a pact with the Forge Master. In exchange for being able to use your Symbol Power to make his weapons, he kept you where no one would ever find you. The Samurai would be unable to seal the Netherworld, and I would always have an ace in the hole in case my position in Xandred's court was ever in jeopardy." He continued. "Dayu's little excursion to the Forge Master to repair Urumasa was an unexpected spanner in the works, but it DID lead to Serrator being taken out of the picture, so it wasn't without its benefits. I suppose she had her uses."

"You...you..."

Octoroo reached inside his robes and pulled out a set of chains. Lauren's eyes fixed on them in horror. She could recognise the runes inscribed into them. She had worn those chains for a year and a half. The Spin Sword fell from her hand as she saw them, her eyes fixed on the chains. Octoroo smiled as he saw his opportunity.

He attached tentacles to either side of her head, and Lauren screamed in agony as he channelled energy through them. She was forced to de-morph, collapsing to her knees, her hands clamped to the side of her head.

"Lauren!" Jayden called out as he tried to make his way over, only to find his way barred. Looking around, he searched desperately for someone to help his sister. "Mia, Lauren's in trouble!"

Mia looked over, seeing her on her knees, still screaming in pain. She ran towards her, as Octoroo seemed to start channelling energy away from her along his tentacles. By the time Mia arrived, he released her, letting Lauren fall to the ground. She looked up in time to see Octoroo pull out a potion bottle, which was almost completely full. He channelled the energy into the bottle, at which it turned into a dark red, viscous fluid, filling the remainder of the bottle. He put it away, confronting Mia.

"What did you do to her?" Mia demanded, standing between Lauren and Octoroo.

"You'll find out soon enough Pink Ranger." He answered. He threw his staff aside, before producing the Harmonium. Mia ran forward, driving her Spin Sword home, causing a telling hit across his chest. Octoroo flew from the rock he was standing on, landing on the shoreline. Mia went to the edge, and watched as he got back up, clutching the Harmonium tightly. He looked up at her.

"Go on Pink Ranger." He roared. "Do it!"

Mia leapt from the rock face, bringing her Spin Sword down in a destructive arc. Octoroo moved quickly, thrusting the Harmonium in the path of her blade. Mia and Octoroo were each sent flying in opposite directions as it exploded, and a dark, thick black cloud erupted from it, surging into the air. Kevin was quickly at her side.

"Mia, are you alright?" He asked. She just nodded.

"What is that? What happened?" She asked. Octoroo started cackling as he struggled back to his feet.

"Why, that's a cloud of pure misery." He informed them. "Dayu's centuries of misery were all stored up in that stupid Harmonium of hers. Every note she played captured her heartache. It's why Xandred kept her around for so long, the misery gave him power and soothed his headaches. Now that you've destroyed it, you've released all that misery!"

They watched as the sky started to grow darker, clouding over and creating an ominous feeling among them.

"Uh...am I the only one getting a serious sense of déjà vu?" Mike asked nervously as the others joined Kevin and Mia. Lauren quickly came to Mia's side.

"No, it...it can't be!" Lauren gasped. "Not now!"

As the ground started to shake, and the water started to churn, Octoroo laughed even more loudly.

"Thank you Pink Ranger. The misery you released from the Harmonium was exactly what we needed." He announced as a huge column of water erupted. A dark form flew from the ocean, and landed, crouched on the rocks. Standing slowly, a long, low growl rumbling in his throat, the Rangers could only watch in horror as the Lord of the Nighlock returned.

His shoulder was still a little darkened, and cracked, but he was almost back to full power. Master Xandred just glared at them as Octoroo approached him.

"Master, here, take this." Octoroo said as he presented the potion bottle to him. "It's my latest creation."

Xandred took the potion from him, and snapped off the stopper, before pouring it into his mouth. Lauren got to her feet.

"Are you up to this?" Jayden asked her.

"I'm fine." Lauren assured him. "Whatever he did to me, I'm still on my feet."

She morphed, taking up position with the others.

"Besides, with Xandred back, it looks like I don't have much of a choice either way." She insisted.

Xandred finished the potion, throwing the bottle aside, where it shattered across the rocks. He looked to the Rangers and growled.

"There are two Shiba?" He snarled, clearly angered by the fact that it seemed he had been wasting much of his time focusing on Jayden. He could tell that Lauren wielded the same Symbol Power he did. "Well, one Red Ranger or two. You'll both fall just like your father did!"

He rushed forward, drawing his sword as he did so. He unleashed a furious assault, scattering the Rangers. They held their own as much as they could, but they quickly fell to his power. Mike groaned as he got to his feet, helped up by Emily.

"Man, he still hits like a freight train!" He complained. "Why isn't he drying out?"

"There's no time to worry about that." Lauren told him. "This is it guys, I'm going to use the Sealing Symbol, but I need time to draw it. I need you all to hold him off while I do this."

"Alright, you heard her." Jayden stated, producing the Black Box. "Kevin, you take this. Mike, you take the Shark Disk. Antonio..."

"Lighty's all ready to go." Antonio pre-empted him, hefting the Light Zord to show that he was ready. Jayden called forth his Fire Smasher.

"OK, go!" Lauren yelled as she prepared her Samuraizer. The other Rangers all charged into battle, pushing the fear from their hearts. Taking a deep breath as she pushed all the fear into a special place, where she could use it to fuel her power, to concentrate, she looked once more to her father's Samuraizer. "This is it father. This is what I've been training for all my life."

She concentrated all her Symbol Power, casting the first flaming stroke in the air. Xandred noticed this, and started to head towards her.

"So, YOU'RE the one!" He roared. "You're the one I need to destroy!"

Lauren steadied herself as she realised she had been exposed. There was no more hiding, this was the moment, the one single moment that would decide who the world would belong to. She kept going, not allowing herself to be distracted from her task. Although she knew she was vulnerable, she had no choice but to trust her team completely. They would keep her from harm. They would buy her the time she needed, with their lives if they needed to.

She felt her legs becoming shaky, and she needed both hands to hold the Samuraizer as the power increased. She was digging deeply into herself for all the Symbol Power she had. She used every emotion, every memory of her life to push into the Symbol. Her father's sacrifice, her captivity, the hopes of everyone in the entire world...all of it gave her strength.

She heard some screams from the battle site. She was sure that the Rangers were paying dearly for the time she was using. She couldn't afford to check on their condition, no matter how much she wanted to, no matter how guilty she felt.

She finally completed the Symbol, just as her brother came tumbling past her. She looked up, seeing Xandred striding towards him.

"Sealing Power!" She called out, casting it forward. The Symbol slammed into Xandred, causing him to call out in pain. After burning for a moment, with Xandred struggling to push through it, to get to Lauren, it picked him up, driving him through the air, slamming him into a cliff face. Lauren looked up at the cliff. "That's for my father you son of a bitch!"

"She did it!" Kevin said wearily as he got up, helping Mia back to her feet. "She really did it!"

"It's..." Mike's words tailed off as he looked to the cliff. As the symbol burned against Xandred, driving him into the cliff, Mike saw it being pushed back. Xandred let out one last, huge cry, before the symbol dissipated, and he landed on the beach, on one knee. He looked up at them, returning to his feet. On the left side of his chest, they could see that part of the skin had been burned completely away, leaving a white patch.

"Over?" Xandred offered. The Rangers all stood, completely dumbfounded by what they had seen.

"It...it didn't work!" Lauren whimpered as she looked at him, unable to fathom how this could happen. Her whole life had been dedicated to that one moment, and when all was said and done, it wasn't enough. "I...I gave it everything I had...!"

Xandred swung his sword, sending out an energy wave that blasted all the Rangers aggressively, sending them all falling to the ground. Lauren, who caught the brunt of the attack, de-morphed, and seemed to be close to completely unconscious after the assault. Jayden crawled towards her, finding that she was only just conscious, but in no condition to move, let alone fight.

"I know you did!" Xandred growled. "But as usual for the Shiba, your best was never good enough. Not thanks to Octoroo's potion."

He gestured to his servant, who stepped forward.

"When you were all unconscious following Serrator's little geyser erupting, I took a little piece of each of you." He informed them. "They say a human soul is as much about suffering as it is about joy, so I took and distilled some of the memories from each of you that caused your greatest misery. All I needed was one more, and I got that from Lauren."

He looked to the team, smiling as he prepared to explain his greatest work. He looked to Emily.

"The misery of knowing that no matter how hard you try, you were always the second choice." He explained, moving onto Mike. "The misery of knowing that you wasted your life, denying your birthright for your own selfish pleasure, and jeopardising the world."

He turned next to Kevin.

"The misery of knowing that your life's dream will never be fulfilled, knowing that your fate was sealed before you were even born to see your dream end." Octoroo continued, rounding on Mia. "The misery of losing your first child, because it was something you were never meant to have."

He looked to Antonio next.

"The misery of knowing that no matter how much you wave around that little dagger of yours, you'll never truly be a Samurai." He taunted him, looking to Jayden. "The misery of knowing that your entire life was one lie after another, all to cover for the fact that you were never going to be anything other than your sister's decoy."

He then finally looked to Lauren.

"And finally, let's not forget about you." He stated. "You, who know more than most what awaits the world when we win, and knowing that in the end, you will let everyone down. Your fear that you will never live up to the faith everyone has put their lives on the line for, and that soon you will once again find yourself alone and without hope."

He gestured to Master Xandred with pride as they all slowly prepared to continue the fight.

"Using that distilled misery; I gave him what amounts to a human soul." He informed them. "Now, just as Dekker wouldn't dry out, neither will Master Xandred. Nor will your little Sealing Symbol."

"Guys...I'm sorry." Lauren stammered. "I...I failed..."

Before Xandred could make a move, Jayden pulled out his Samuraizer, and cast a Symbol. In a cloud of smoke, they all disappeared.

Back at the Shiba House, the Rangers appeared in the Living Room. Serena, Terry, Ji and Brenda were all waiting. Jayden caught Lauren as she collapsed, de-morphing, completely broken. Between her injuries, her exhaustion from the Sealing Symbol, and her failure, she fell into his arms, completely broken. Jayden could only hold her unconscious body, unable to stop himself from crying. He couldn't help feeling sorry for her. No one had more taken from them in the war than his sister, and in the end, it still wasn't enough.


	17. The New Plan

That night was a quiet one around the Shiba House. All of the Rangers, every last one of them, had wounds that needed to be tended to. They had been fortunate in many respects, by all rights, Xandred had them dead and buried. They already knew of his power, having faced him once before, but this time was different.

Now, they had a new factor to put into the equation. They had all seen him regenerate as a result of Octoroo's potion, the one he had created by distilling and concentrating their own misery. The first time around, Xandred had handed them a quick and decisive defeat, even though he was drying out at such an advanced rate that by the time was all said and done, it had taken months for him to recover. Now though, he had no such barrier. He no longer needed to worry about drying out, he could cross between the worlds without restriction...there was no longer any limit to how long he could maintain his full power in battle, and most of all, they now knew he had nothing to fear from the Sealing Symbol.

Mike held Emily as they watched Jayden sitting with his head in his hands. Of all of them, he was taking this particular defeat the hardest. He had stood down for his sister, allowed her to take the lead. He, like all of them had placed his faith in her Sealing Symbol. He had gone with them, thrown himself into battle to buy her the time to create it. However, when all was said and done, it was all in vain.

Mia came over, her arm wrapped in a dressing that had been treated to help her deal with her burns. She handed them both some hot cocoa.

"How's Kevin?" Mike asked her. She sighed and nodded.

"He got his bell rung pretty badly." She informed them. "He's complaining about a headache, but he should be fine."

"We all have a headache." Mike grumbled. "His name is Xandred."

"What are we going to do now?" Mia whispered. "I mean...for over a year, even before we knew about Lauren, the plan's always been about the Sealing Symbol."

"Well, I guess we could have done with that a little earlier." Mike mumbled bitterly, sipping some of his cocoa. Emily shoved him.

"Mike, it's not Lauren's fault..."

"She escaped from the Netherworld nearly six months ago." He reminded them. "If she'd just come here..."

"Hey!" Jayden called out, his head rising. He got up, and made his way across the room. The expression on his face gave everyone cause for concern. He made his way over, and glared at Mike. "Do you have something to say?"

"All...all I was saying is..."

"If she could have gotten back sooner she would." Jayden spat angrily. "Don't you think that was all she could think about? She was there for a year and a half! Do you have any idea what that was like? If you do, then please tell me, because I sure as hell don't!"

Mike shrunk away a little. He was angry, confused, and upset about the defeat, and he wanted someone, anyone to be to blame for it. Lauren seemed like the logical choice, since she was always their 'secret weapon' against Xandred. He hadn't thought about what she had been through. In that moment, he wasn't thinking much about anything other than how hopeless the situation seemed.

"She barely got out of there alive. Then, without any form of physio, she made it from New Zealand to Japan, then back to the States without any money or means." He reminded them. "She came back from something that I can never even begin to imagine...something I'm not sure I'll ever WANT to understand, and you criticise her for not coming back earlier?"

Mike hung his head in shame, and shook it, indicating that he accepted Jayden's point. His anger was misdirected. It wasn't Lauren's fault she wasn't there in time. It wasn't her fault that Xandred had gotten powerful enough to break the Sealing Symbol. All they could do now was deal with the situation as it stood.

"Would you mind keeping your voices down?" Ji whispered as he came into the room. "There are people trying to recover."

"One of whom is my sister." Jayden replied. "Is she awake yet?"

"She is." Ji told him. "I would advise against..."

"I'm going to see her." Jayden told him. "I'll let her rest, don't worry."

As he left, Mike just looked to Emily.

"I'm sorry, it's just..."

"I understand, I'm scared too." Emily assured him. "I just really can't help feeling sorry for Lauren."

As Mike and Mia looked at her, she took a deep sigh and looked away.

"She was sent away when she was just a kid." Emily continued. "She's been trained her whole life to cast the Sealing Symbol, and it was all for nothing."

"The question is, what do we do now?" Mia asked. None of them answered. That was one question that none of them knew the answer to.

Jayden made his way into Lauren's room...really his and Antonio's room. She had been sleeping on a camping bed in the dojo, not wanting to kick anyone out of their own room, but he had insisted given her weakened state that she needed something more comfortable. He knocked the door gently.

"Lauren?" He asked quietly. "Lauren, can I come in?"

He didn't get an answer. He made his way in as quietly as he could, finding the room lit only with candles. As he got in though, he saw that the bed was unkempt, and that she was not in it.

"Lauren?" He asked, starting to panic a little. He looked around, trying to think where she could be. Seeing that the window was open, he started to fear the worst. He went over, and leaned out, looking outside. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw her sitting on one of the stone benches outside. He climbed out, making his way over.

She was sitting, looking up at the sky, seeing the swirling mass of dark clouds hanging over the city. They were far enough out from the city that they could still see the stars, but he knew she had to notice the cloud. She had a sling around her neck, holding her left arm in place. He took a seat beside her, putting his arm around her.

"You gave me a heart attack." Jayden began. "I thought you'd done something dumb like going after Xandred yourself."

"I'd thought about it." She admitted. Jayden had to find it hard to keep a straight face as she said this. He was still finding it more than a little fascinating how similar they were, despite having lived most of their lives apart. He still didn't know if he wanted to scream at her for running off on her own, and had to admit that it gave him a very direct lesson in what he had been doing to his own team on numerous occasions throughout the two-year war.

"Why don't I doubt that?" He asked her.

"They're beautiful aren't they?" Lauren asked him, nodding towards the stars. "It really makes you think about what we're all fighting for."

"Lauren..."

"We need to think of a new plan." She told him. "I need your help."

"Anything." Jayden told her. She grabbed the sling, pulling it off. Her arm hung limply by her side.

"Take it." She stated bluntly. Jayden just stared at him. "Jayden, just do it!"

"Lauren..."

"My shoulder's dislocated; I need your help to put it back in place!" She interrupted him. "Now, just do it!"

Jayden reluctantly took her arm, looking her in the eye. She took her belt in her other hand, placing it between her teeth, then nodded to instruct him to proceed. Jayden steadied himself, before pulling and twisting it hard, shoving the joint back into place. Lauren just grunted, but it troubled him how little she seemed to be affected. He had seen his fair share of pain over the years. Between battles, and his training, he was no stranger to injury, but it was almost like Lauren was used to such pain. It was like it was no big deal to her. Given the scarring across her body, he could believe it, regardless of how much he wanted to deny and ignore what she had been through for his sanity.

Lauren got back to her feet, spitting the belt out, and checking her shoulder for movement.

"I'm calling a team meeting." She instructed him. "Get the others in the Living Room in five minutes."

"Alright." Jayden answered, before heading inside. Lauren looked down at her sling as he went, until she heard the door close. Preparing her Samuraizer, she cast a quick flame symbol, burning it into oblivion, before heading back to her room.

In another part of town, Bulk was locking down the house. As a result of the tremors and the cloud, another city-wide alert had been called. Everyone was being told to stay off the streets, and to take shelter. Spike hated this time. He knew about the Rangers now, and he considered them friends. He wished there was something he could do to help.

As his uncle finished securing the last window, he came into the middle of the room, where he had prepared food. Spike looked completely dejected.

"What's with the long face? You know Mal did the right thing." He stated. Spike just continued to look decidedly glum. He let out a sigh.

"Look, I know things aren't working out like you planned." Bulk said to his nephew sympathetically.

"It's alright Uncle Bulk." Spike muttered. "I guess a part of me always knew this was temporary. I know I only came here while my dad was dealing with his business deals."

"I know, but...it's taken a lot longer than any of us were expecting." Bulk reminded him. "You're nearly seventeen. Two years is not an insignificant portion of your life."

"It's not fair!" Spike protested. "I have friends here! I have a life here!"

"Spike, it's alright to feel that way." Bulk assured him. "You've done so much here, and you've grown so much. We're all so proud of the man you've become."

Spike just sulked, crossing his arms defiantly.

"Look, you know you've missed your mom and dad. You know you always wanted to go back some day." Bulk continued.

"They want me back at Christmas Break." Spike told him. "I have a couple of weeks left before they take me away."

"Well, maybe you should make the most of those weeks." Bulk suggested. "You know I'll always be here, you're always welcome to visit."

"It's not the same." Spike grumbled, looking to the window, thinking of his friends, of Vicky. "You wouldn't understand."

Bulk just got up and headed out the room to find some soda. He hated to see his nephew unhappy. He had done everything he could to keep him happy in his parents' absence. He only hoped that in time Spike would understand all any of them wanted was what was best for him.

Back at the Shiba House, the team, all except for Lauren, were assembled. Terry, Serena and Brenda were also there, eager to hear what was coming. They were quite literally there to discuss the fate of the world, and so they couldn't really deny anyone's right to be there. Lauren arrived last.

She was covered in scratches, cuts and bruises, and she was limping a little as she arrived. She sat at Jayden's side.

"The last battle with Xandred didn't go well." She began, making what had to feel like the understatement of all time. "We were defeated. Now we know that Master Xandred is back, and that he's stronger than ever."

"He doesn't need Sanzu Water anymore." Jayden reminded them. "He's also no longer affected by the Sealing Symbol."

"I was here to seal him away, but that approach has failed." Lauren continued. "Now, we have to find another way. However, before we do, there's something I need to say."

She then turned to Jayden, looking to her younger brother. He was a little uneasy about this. He had no idea what she was going to say.

"When I saw you leading the team earlier, I saw something that quite frankly is the most amazing thing I've ever seen." She began. "The way you lead the team, the relationship you have with them, the way you all just know, just feel what each other is doing, what you need to do is just amazing."

She took a deep breath before continuing.

"I've studied the Sealing Symbol my whole life, but now we know that won't work." She told him. "I've studied strategy for as long as I could read, but you've studied the same texts. We're both strong fighters, and we've both got strong Symbol Power, but you have something I'll never have. You have a connection to your team."

"Lauren, that's..."

"It's alright Mia; I can admit that it's true." She interrupted the Pink Ranger. "They will follow my commands, but you don't need to command them. They'll just follow you without a word needing to be spoken. Our father, our tradition may have dictated that I was meant to lead this team, but I can admit when a mistake has been made. I was never the leader of this team, and I never will be in the time we have left."

She got off her stool, falling to a knee before her brother, bowing her head reverently.

"I'm handing the leadership of the team to Jayden." She told them, looking up into his eyes. "You've always been the best choice, and I would be honoured if you'd allow me to fight by your side."

Jayden took a moment to take in the gesture. He put a hand on his sister's face, lifting it to look him in the eye and smiled.

"I'd be honoured to have you." He answered. Lauren got up, taking her seat as he looked back to the room. "So, I'm the leader. How do we all feel about this?"

They all smiled and nodded. Lauren just looked to Mike and gave him a little smirk.

"I thought you might be pleased to hear that." She commented. "Just remember, I'm holding you to your promise of teaching me how to use a zeee."

"Wii." Mike corrected her. "And you can count on it."

"Alright, now that's settled, we need to rethink how we're going to take down Xandred." He began. "I think by now it's clear that the time for sealing is long since past. That's no one's fault, it's just a fact."

"So we have to come up with a new plan." Mike answered. "So what is it?" Jayden just smiled.

"Brute force!" He announced. The Rangers all looked around each other uneasily, before looking back to him. Eventually Mike answered.

"That's your plan?" He asked. "Dude, he stomped us flat! He'd destroy us in no time..."

"Lauren's Sealing Symbol may not have sealed him away, but I believe it did weaken him." Jayden announced. "Antonio, if you'd please?"

Antonio put the Light Zord on the map, at which it uploaded the information, producing a 3D recording of the battle. Jayden paused it after the Sealing Symbol had failed.

"Look at this, Xandred could barely stand." He announced. "Then his next attack...it didn't do anywhere near the damage he's capable of."

"It did enough." Emily complained, hugging herself. Jayden just looked around the room.

"Octoroo's potion may have given him a human soul, it may have protected him against the sealing symbol, but I have a theory that it did something else too." He continued. "I think it created a weakness..."

"The white patch!" Antonio declared excitedly, pausing the recording and zooming in on it. Jayden just smiled and nodded.

"I think if we attack that point with a strong enough blow, then we can defeat him for good." Jayden told them. "Never mind sealing him, I say we bury him!"


	18. Xandred Round II

Xandred had returned to his Junk following the battle with the Rangers. He had once again handed them a convincing defeat. Thanks to Dayu's Harmonium, he had gained the energy he needed to come back from the depths of the Sanzu River. Not only that, but Octoroo had also given him a potion, one that gave him what amounted to a human soul, much like Dekker and Dayu. Now, he no longer had anything to fear from crossing into the mortal realm. He didn't need Sanzu Water to keep from drying out. The last time the Rangers had been lucky, this time they wouldn't have the benefit of him losing power. This time, he was invincible.

As he looked out over the Sanzu River, the waters became decidedly turbulent, as the river rose with every passing second. It was close to bursting its banks. Soon, he would be able to sail his ship straight into the human world. He had conquered the Netherworld long ago. Now, he had a whole new world to conquer.

He placed a hand across the white patch on his chest. Octoroo had indeed done good work. The potion now meant that he had nothing to fear from the accursed Sealing Symbol. However, it had not come without a price. Although the Sealing Symbol had failed to seal him, it took all of his strength to push through it. He could still feel the pain it caused, the burning. He had come to the Junk to regroup. He had already lost fifteen years to the last Red Ranger's Sealing Symbol. He wasn't about to take any chances.

Octoroo came to his side, but he noticed Xandred's efforts to hide the effects of the Sealing Symbol. The protection he gave Master Xandred wasn't full proof, but then, that had been his intention all along. The last thing he needed was an indestructible Xandred. After all, he knew that once the human world fell to his rule, that Xandred would potentially have no further use for him. How long he lived after that would be down to Xandred's mood. As much as he knew his only chance of defeating the Rangers was to side with Xandred, self-preservation was always his main concern. If it came down to it, he needed to have something he could use against Xandred.

"It's time." He declared as Octoroo came to his side. "The world will fall under my rule."

"This is what we've been waiting for!" Octoroo declared cheerfully. "To think, none of this would have been possible if it wasn't for Dayu."

He looked to Xandred and smiled.

"Would you like to say a few words to pay your respects?" He asked. Xandred just scoffed.

"She served her purpose." He answered, before concentrating his power on the ship. The waters of the Sanzu River became even more treacherous, and started to swell. Before long, they were sailing through a Gap, coming into the human realm.

At the Shiba House, Jayden and the team were all sitting, waiting for the Gap Sensor to sound. They hated being on the defensive, hanging on the ropes with no choice but to wait on Xandred taking the first move, but they didn't have a choice. After the first battle, he had gone back to the Netherworld, presumably to amass his forces for the invasion. They couldn't follow him, meaning that now all they could do was wait until he was ready to return.

Lauren came into the room, and the team all looked at her, noticing that she was wearing a new gi, one that matched the rest of their training uniforms, trimmed in red as befitted her designation. Jayden smiled.

"If I'm going to be part of the team, I guess I should look the part." She stated, crossing her arms over herself. He could see that she was still decidedly uncomfortable, and he knew why. Like the others' uniforms, this new gi didn't have sleeves, meaning that her scarring was exposed. It was the first time they could remember her not attempting to hide the souvenirs left by the Forge Master's torture. He came to her side, checking the uniform.

"Ji did a good job." He told her. "It suits you."

"I'd still prefer something with sleeves." She told him. "But, if this is good enough for all of you, then it's good enough for me."

She then handed over a deep red Power Disk. Jayden accepted it, and he could feel the power contained within. He looked to Lauren.

"You..."

"I've put as much Symbol Power into it as I could manage." Lauren interrupted him. "One Shiba wasn't enough to get the job done; maybe the power of two will do it."

"Thanks." Jayden told her. She just nodded in response as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's a one-shot weapon." She warned him. "I know you'll make it count."

Just then, the Gap Sensor started to blare loudly. Mia was closest to the map, so she opened it as the others crowded around it.

"I've never seen so many go off all at once!" Mia commented. "There's Sanzu Water coming through all over the city!"

"I think we can safely say that this is it." Jayden stated as he looked to the others. "Alright, this time, we can't hold anything back. Ji, you're coming with us. We'll need everything we can throw at him."

"Alright, we all know the plan." Lauren interjected. She looked to Jayden a little sheepishly, before gesturing for him to take over. "Sorry, bad habit."

"We only have one shot at this, so whatever it takes, I need to get in close to use the Shiba Fire Disk." Jayden instructed them. "Come on!"

With that, they all ran out of the house, preparing to face the battle of their lives.

Across the city, everyone was barricading themselves in their homes. As the Rangers arrived at a valley just outside of the city, they found the place flooded with Moogers, far more than any of them had ever seen. Mike looked to Antonio and smiled.

"So, are you still glad you became a Samurai?" Mike asked him. Antonio just nodded.

"Are you kidding? This is the best time I've ever had." He answered. "There's nowhere I'd rather be."

"Me either." Lauren added, looking to her brother as she prepared her Samuraizer. The Moogers all looked up the cliff, seeing the Rangers.

"It looks like they've seen us." Kevin remarked.

"Then let's give them what they came for!" Mike responded.

"Ready?" Jayden asked.

"Ready!" The others chorused. "Go Go Samurai!"

Morphing, they charged down the cliff, ploughing into the Moogers. Xandred watched from the bridge of his Junk, with Octoroo by his side. He drew his sword, leaping into the fray. As he watched him go, Octoroo just cackled gleefully.

"Mike, look out!" Kevin called out as Xandred strode through the Moogers, cutting down his own troops in his purposeful march towards the Rangers. Mike barely managed to parry his strike, but the force of the blow still sent him smashing through dozens of Moogers.

Powering up a huge flame attack, Xandred scattered the Rangers, sending them tumbling into the cliff face. Jayden was the first to his feet, summoning up the Black Box, and powering himself up into Super Samurai Mode.

"OK guys, this is it!" He told them, loading in the Shiba Fire Disk. "Remember, whatever it takes, we only have one shot at this!"

Coming in front of Jayden, the other Rangers prepared for the charge. Lauren took the lead position. With a huge battle cry, they began their charge.

Moogers swarmed around them, but the Rangers cut them down, keeping them away from Jayden. As they got through to the other side, only Xandred remained before them. Casting forward his first energy attack, Lauren and Antonio were blasted aside.

"Lauren!" Emily screamed, seeing her friends hitting the ground. "Antonio..."

"We can't worry about that!" Kevin reminded her. "Keep going!"

Powering up another attack, Mike and Ji took the hit, stepping in the way to keep Jayden from taking the blow. They too ended up on the ground.

There were only a few more feet to go as Kevin, Emily and Mia took the next attack. Spinning the Shiba Fire Disk, flames engulfed his sword. This was it, all or nothing, this was the

Xandred swung for him, but Jayden dived over it, rolling to his feet. Swinging around, he swiped Xandred's sword out of the way, before driving the point into the white patch on his chest.

Xandred let out a huge scream as the blade continued to burn. Jayden summoned up all of his strength, he shoved the sword in deeper, burying it in his chest.

Xandred grunted in pain, but looked to Jayden as the power dissipated. He looked up at him in horror as Xandred grabbed the blade.

"You gave me your best shot!" He announced. "But it still wasn't enough!"

He threw Jayden aside, before pulling out the Spin Sword. Jayden started to struggle back to his feet, helped up by Lauren.

"The Fire Disk! I...I gave him everything!" He told her.

"Flames of the Netherworld!" Xandred growled, engulfing the team in flames. The team fell to the ground, almost completely spent. Xandred looked to Jayden and Lauren, laughing as he approached them.

"So this was the world's greatest hope." He taunted them. "You're not even worth sullying my blade."

He looked to Lauren and smiled. A set of chains appeared in his hands.

"Octoroo told me you once enjoyed the hospitality of the Netherworld." He stated, approaching her.

With a huge yell, Ji threw himself at Xandred. He scored several hits across Xandred's chest, before slamming a Power Disk onto his Spin Sword.

"You will never harm my family!" He screamed at him. "Not while I have a single breath left in my body! Kin Power Disk!"

He powered up, and the Rangers all marvelled as he transformed into Shogun Mode. They didn't know it was even possible to take on Shogun Mode outside of a Zord.

"Shogun Spear!" He called out, combining his Sword and the BullZooka. With a huge yell, he drove it into the hole in his chest Jayden had created. Xandred stared at the spear, before bringing up his hands. Energy crackled around him as he smashed a hand either side of Ji's head, shattering his helmet. Stunned, Ji staggered backwards.

"I believe this is yours!" He stated, pulling out the Shogun Spear, feeling his energy leaving his body. He knew his first life was almost at an end, but before he fell, he was determined to repay Ji in kind. With a huge cry, he rammed it through Ji's chest.

"NO!" Jayden screamed, watching in horror as the blade went right through Ji's chest. A bright light enveloped him as the Shogun Armour disappeared. Ji slumped to his knees, coughing up blood, before falling to the ground as Xandred exploded, heralding the end of his first life. Jayden and Lauren were quickly by his side. Lauren recalled her helmet, tears running down her face.

"Ji, hold on." Lauren begged him. "I'm so sorry, It should have been me! I should have come back sooner, I should have..."

"It's alright." Ji gasped as he looked up at her. He reached up a hand, stroking her face tenderly with his hand. "I am honoured to have served the Shiba Clan."

"You did well Ji." Jayden told him. "We'd never have been able to defeat him without you."

"I'm just glad that my experiment worked." Ji told him, feeling his strength fading. "Jayden, promise me..."

"Don't say it Ji." Jayden begged him.

"I need to hear it." Ji answered. "Promise me you will take care of Brenda and the baby."

"I promise." Jayden assured him. Ji smiled as he reached up to him.

"You have no idea how proud I am to have raised you." Ji told him, before looking to Lauren. "I just wish things could have been different."

With that, he slumped down, his eyes closing. Jayden shook him, trying to revive him.

"Ji." Jayden called out. "Ji, speak to me, Ji!"

"Jayden look!" Lauren announced, pointing a little way off. Jayden saw Xandred towering over the city. She looked to him, snapping his attention back to the task at hand. "The battle's not over. You need to finish this."

She took a deep breath, wiping away a tear as she held Ji close to her.

"I'll stay with him." She assured him. "Just go!"

Jayden got to his feet, looking to his team.

"Alright guys, we know what needs to be done!" Jayden told them. "Everything we have! Let's do this!"

As they ran off to summon the Zords, aiming to finish the war once and for all, Lauren just held Ji's limp form in her arms, tears running down her face. She pulled out her Samuraizer, and cast the teleportation symbol, taking him from the field.

Back at the Shiba House, Terry, Serena and Brenda had been watching the battle on their monitor. They couldn't bring themselves to speak. Serena just looked to Brenda, who was sitting, staring at the monitor, her mouth hanging open in shock. Her eyes were wide. She didn't even seem to be breathing; all she could do was stare at the monitor.

"Brenda..."

Brenda didn't listen though. She just got up, and started to make her way from the room. As she got to the door, she fell against the door frame, holding it to prop her up. Her hand strayed to her abdomen.

"Brenda, please..."

Suddenly, she let out a horrendous cry. Terry was quickly by her side, holding her up. She doubled over, and screamed in anguish as he tried to check on her.

"Serena, help me get her to the couch." He told her. "This isn't good for the..."

"Terry?" Serena asked, pointing to the floor. Terry saw it too.

"OK, this really isn't good." He told her. "Brenda, Brenda, you have to listen to me. We need to get you to the couch."

She just cried out again as Terry tried to reach her.

"Terry, did..."

"Her waters' just broken." Terry confirmed. "It's probably the stress..."

"I'll call an ambulance." Serena told him. He just shook his head.

"I don't think there'll be time for that." Terry answered.

"Have you done a delivery before?" She asked.

"I've read about it." Terry answered honestly. "I guess there's a first time for everything."


	19. Xandred's Final Battle

The Rangers formed up the Gigazord, facing off against Xandred. Antonio, Kevin, Jayden, Emily and Mia all took up their positions at the control console. All of them knew that now Xandred was on his second life, they were a lot closer to defeating him than anyone had gotten before. Unfortunately, that still didn't guarantee victory. He was by far the most powerful force any of them, indeed, any Samurai had ever faced in his first life, in his second; it was only going to get worse.

Jayden's jaw clenched as he grabbed his controls. He was taught from a young age to be able to push aside his emotions during battle, but right now he was finding that more difficult than he ever had. Xandred was the reason he had never had a normal life. He was the reason that he hadn't seen his sister since he was five years old...he was the reason Ji...the only one who had been a constant in his life, his guardian for most of his life...

"Jayden?" Kevin asked him. "Jayden, are you...?"

"I'll be better once Xandred's gone!" Jayden spat angrily, gripping the Mega Blade tightly. He slammed the Shark Disk into the console.

"You brought all your toys I see." Xandred taunted them. All the Rangers looked around, realising that his voice was sounding inside the Zord.

"Uh...OK, that's just creepy." Mike commented.

"He's so powerful; he's able to speak directly to our minds inside the Zord!" Kevin added. "No Nighlock's ever done that!"

"Well, if I have my way, no Nighlock ever will again!" Jayden stated, but as he searched inside himself, something spoke to him. He could feel the rage burning in his heart, clouding his judgement. He wanted nothing more than to rush in, and drive his blade straight through Xandred's heart, to tear him apart, piece by piece if necessary. He realised that he couldn't proceed like that. Xandred was too powerful, too dangerous. Any wrong move, any mistake could easily cost everyone, the whole world their lives. He handed Antonio the Shogun Disk.

"Antonio, take this." Jayden instructed the Gold Ranger. Antonio just looked at him.

"Jayden, you...you want me to..."

"I need a cooler head at the helm." Jayden told him. "There's a time for passion, and this isn't it. Please..."

"I won't let you down." Antonio assured him, taking the Shogun Disk. He took a deep breath, before slamming it into his Belt Buckle. "Shogun Mode, Power of the Ancestors!"

As he powered up, Antonio took the helm.

"Alright guys, we're close, we're closer than anyone's got before." Jayden reminded them. "Ji got us this far. Let's make him proud!"

As they powered forward, Xandred rushed towards them, raising his sword.

Back at the Shiba House, Terry was with Brenda, helping her as much as he could. She was only in the early stages of labour, and it wasn't an ideal situation. Serena came back to him, carrying her cell phone.

"I finally got through." She told him, handing him the phone. Terry was about to take it from her, but she handed him a Bluetooth headset instead. He just smiled.

"You have no idea how much I love you right now." He said as he took it from her, clipping it to his ear. Using the headset, he would have his hands free, and still be able to speak to the emergency services. "Hey, I guess you guys are pretty busy right now."

"The switchboard's been lit up like Times' Square since that cloud showed up." The man on the other end answered. "We've been unable to get units out, those monsters are everywhere, we can't risk it."

"That's why I need your help." Terry told him. "My name's Terry Watanabe, I'm a second year medical student at Panorama Medical School. I'm currently with a patient, Brenda Hamilton. She's in labour. She's approximately five weeks, maybe four premature."

He leaned over Brenda.

"Brenda, I know this is difficult, but we need to be as exact as possible." Terry told her. "I'm going to help you, but we need to know, when's your due date?"

"January 10th." She told him in pained gasps. Terry looked to Serena, who went to Brenda's side to try and calm her. They knew it was unlikely she was going to be particularly relaxed, given what she had seen only moments before.

"OK, that makes it four weeks premature." Terry relayed to the control centre.

"That's good Terry, that's very helpful." Another voice replied. "My name's Doctor William Marx, feel free to call me Bill."

"OK Bill, Brenda's really distressed here; I think that's what triggered the labour." Terry told him. "I've never taken active part in a delivery. I'll need you to talk me through it."

"I'll do what I can Terry." He answered. "Do you have...?"

"There's a dojo in the house, we have extensive medical supplies." Terry informed him. "I've got gauze, bandages, disinfectant, and we've gathered as much clean linen as we could get our hands on."

"That's all good." Bill continued. "This is where I need you to get a little intimate with the patient."

"Um...OK, that's a little awkward, but I'll do it." Terry answered. He looked to Brenda. "Uh...Brenda, I need..."

"Just do it!" She screamed at him. Serena did her best to reassure her. Terry just shook his head as he carried on with the procedure.

Back at the site of the battle, the Gigazord and Xandred were locked in a deadly battle. The Rangers struggled to hold onto the controls as they were battered from pillar to post by powerful attacks. Antonio managed to grab a hold of Xandred, and fired off a helmet blast straight into his face. The Lord of the Nighlock staggered backwards, blinded by the blast.

"We might not get another chance!" Antonio called out. "All your Symbol Power, right now!"

He measured the blow, aiming for the weak spot on Xandred's chest as they channelled all their power into the Shark Sword. With a powerful thrust, the Shark Sword penetrated deeply into him, releasing the energy of the blast deep into his heart. The explosion sent the Gigazord skidding back away from him.

To their horror, Xandred wasn't gone though. He used his sword to help himself to one knee. He looked up to them, his face ruined, one of his eyes gone. Dark, purple blood ran from his chest, his eye socket, and his mouth. He launched another blast at them, rocking the Zord with the force of the blow.

Sparks flew from the control consoles as the Rangers struggled to maintain control. Antonio looked to the display, watching the power levels going haywire. Alarms were blaring, warning them of the threat to their safety.

"That...that was everything we had!" Antonio stammered. "We...we have to try again, we have to..."

"Not quite." Jayden stated as he suddenly got a sense of realisation. They had used the most powerful attack they dared do launch, the most powerful attack they could risk launching without risking the Zords, and their lives. It wasn't enough. Although he had never once wanted to risk their lives, he knew that this was the last chance.

"No, don't." Jayden stated as Antonio went for his morpher. "We've been going about this all wrong. We can't use our Symbol Power in small doses, he'll win that way."

He de-morphed, standing before the control console as another blast hit them.

"De-morph; we need to channel everything we have into one single attack." Jayden explained. "Everything, every ounce of Symbol Power."

"We overload." Kevin gasped, seeing what he was proposing. "But..."

"Kevin, I've never once wanted to risk your lives, but you know as well as I do we'll never get another chance." Jayden told him. "If we fail, then it doesn't matter. We're all dead anyway."

Emily de-morphed, stepping up to the console. Mike followed suit, and then Mia. Kevin nodded in understanding, before doing the same. Antonio was the last one to follow suit, taking up the controls.

"We've only got one chance at this." Jayden reminded them. "There's only one thing for it. We have to get so close that we can't miss!"

"Suicide rush." Mike stated, before a little smirk crossed his face. "Well, if we're going out, we're going out in style."

"And we're going out together." Jayden stated. "I just want to say, that no Red Ranger has ever led a better team. It has been an honour to fight with all of you."

He looked back to the battle, steeling himself for what was to come.

"NOW!" He called out. The Samurai all joined him, channelling everything they had into the attack. Xandred was only just getting back to his feet, and fired off an attack, damaging the Zord.

"Four of our Zords..."

"Jettison them!" Jayden interrupted Kevin. "We have eight left, we need to keep going!"

Releasing the damaged Zords, they continued their charge, ignoring the chaos in the cockpit. Sparks flew up, burning Jayden's face painfully.

Seeing them continue their relentless charge, Xandred suddenly felt something he never had before, a sense of panic. Everyone generally quailed in fear from him. He launched another blast as they closed in.

"There go another three Zords!" Antonio announced. "We've only got the original five left!"

"That's all we need, jettison the others!" Jayden announced. The Samurai Megazord was finally on top of Xandred, its sword raised to strike. The blade started to glow, powered by the combined might of all their Symbol Power. "Ultimate Samurai Strike!"

Xandred screamed in agony as the blade plunged into him. Feeling it burning, Jayden started to pull it upwards through him.

"This is for everyone you've ever harmed!" Jayden screamed at him. "This is for my dad, and this is for Ji!"

Xandred grabbed the Megazord, holding it tightly as he felt the last of his power flaring up inside him, ready to consume him. He stared straight into the Megazord.

"You may have defeated me, but the Nighlock will never stop trying to take over you world!" He roared defiantly. "I may be defeated, but I'll take you with me!"

Before the Rangers knew what happened, they were ejected from the Megazord. Landing on the ground, they watched as Xandred exploded, ending his second life. The Zords scattered on the ground, badly damaged, having taken the hit for their masters. Jayden looked to the Lion Zord in his hands, as it flailed feebly.

"It's alright lion." He assured it. "You did well."

"Hey, check it out!" Kevin stated, pointing to the sky, which was starting to clear up. The cloud of misery was disappearing, being drawn back into a gap. They watched as Moogers from all over the city were drawn back into the gaps from whence they came. The Junk was being pulled backwards, dragged down with the Sanzu water that had carried it into their world. They all saw Octoroo clutching to the side of the ship for dear life, disappearing with it, screaming as he did.

"The Sealing Symbol!" Mike yelled, jumping up and punching the air in excitement. "Without Xandred to resist it, the rest of the Nighlock are being dragged into the Netherworld!"

"Lauren did it after all." Antonio said with a little smile. As he turned to the others, seeing their excitement, he noticed one of them that wasn't happy. Jayden just stood, staring into space. Antonio came over to him, putting an arm around him. "Jayden, it's over."

"I know." He answered as the others started to gather up the damaged Zords and Power Disks. "Let's all go home."

It took them a while, since they didn't have any form of transport available, and none of them had the energy left to cast a teleportation symbol, but eventually they got back to the Shiba House. Although they were happy that the war was finally over, there was something of a subdued feeling among them. They had finally brought an end to the Nighlock threat, but it had come at a high price. All of the Zords were damaged, and they didn't know if they were able to be repaired yet. They only hoped that now Antonio had time on his hands, he would be able to save them.

As they arrived, they found Lauren waiting outside for them. She looked up, seeing Jayden and smiled, running over and grabbing him in a tight hug, squeezing him like her life depended on it. Jayden returned the gesture.

"You did it!" She cried out, releasing him with tears of joy in her eyes. "You all did it! You were amazing!"

"Hey, you were amazing too." Mike assured her. "None of us were fit to keep going. If it wasn't for your Sealing Symbol, we'd have been dead meat."

"Where's Ji?" Jayden asked her. Lauren looked to him, seeing the look in his eyes. He didn't understand as she just smiled back at him.

"You really don't give him enough credit." She told him. Jayden was completely confused now. "I got him to one of our contacts at a private clinic."

"Wait...are you saying...?"

"It was pretty touch and go." Lauren informed him. "He lost a lot of blood and they had to chemically induce a coma. He'll not be running any marathons for a few months, but they think he might make it."

"You...you're kidding me!" Jayden yelled excitedly. "He's alive?"

"Not by much." Lauren told him.

"I always knew he was tough." Mike stated as Jayden hugged his sister again, lifting her off the ground.

"He's also got a lot to fight to come back for." Terry stated as he came out of the house, his clothes covered in...well...they really didn't know how to describe it. Serena was with him, also looking rather tired, and messed up, but happy with it. She has her arm around Terry. "Guys, there's someone I think you should meet."

They all came into the house, finding Brenda still lying on the couch, completely exhausted. The living room was a mess, since Terry hadn't yet had a chance to clean up. Despite her exhaustion, they couldn't help noticing that Brenda appeared to be overjoyed. Resting in her arms, was a little bundle of blankets. She saw them, and turned it just enough for them to see the face of a tiny child.

"No...way...!" Mike gasped. She looked up at them, nodding.

"It's a girl." She informed them. "We have a girl."

Jayden came over, kneeling down beside her. Brenda passed across the baby, allowing Jayden to hold his little sister. He couldn't help smile as he looked down on her. This was what they had been fighting for all along. Thanks to them, all their efforts, all of their sacrifices, the world had a future.

"The hospital said they'd have an ambulance here as soon as they could." Terry informed him. "Lauren's arranged for the clinic to transfer Ji as soon as he's able to be moved."

Jayden wasn't paying attention though, none of the Samurai were. They were all too interested in greeting the newest member of their legacy. Serena tugged on his sleeve, and nodded in the direction of the hall. Taking him out there, she looked at him.

"So, pretty wild day huh?" She asked. "I mean, the others had the battle, but that..."

"I have to admit, that was something I'll never forget." He admitted. "I was hoping to wait a bit longer before I had to do something like that."

"You were really amazing today." Serena complimented him.

"Amazing huh?" He asked her. She just nodded as she drew closer. Putting a hand behind his head, she pulled him in closer, pressing her lips to his.


	20. Where To Now?

The next couple of days were a little more fraught at the Shiba House than anyone was expecting. This was what everyone had been fighting for, what everyone had sacrificed so much for across two long years...for some even longer. Xandred was gone, the Netherworld was sealed, finally, it was all over.

However, a number of other things had thrown the Shiba House into complete chaos. Everyone wanted to celebrate and relax; they had to recover from their injuries, and to just decompress after the battle that had been generations in the making.

They also wanted to get back to their lives, to get back to the friends and family they had left behind almost two years ago without a word. Only their family, those who shared their legacy knew why they had gone away. It was a lot to ask of anyone, but given that Emily was only just shy of 19, and the others only within a couple of years of her, two years was not an insignificant proportion of their lives to sacrifice. It was natural that they would want to get back and let those they left behind know that they were alright, and catch up.

Then, there was the timing. Christmas was only a couple of weeks away. They had loved spending Christmas together the previous year, but without being undiplomatic, that had been something of a 'make do' situation. Going home simply was not an option then. Now though, with the Nighlock gone, they were divided between wanting to spend time with their new families, and going home for the holidays. There had already been a number of conversations in side-rooms and corners which were a little animated as the Rangers, especially those in relationships, tried to thrash out details of what they intended to do over the holidays.

Finally, there was the issue of the future. While there was a huge question mark over the future all along, since none of them knew how the war would go, now, if anything, the question mark was even bigger. Now they had to think of subtleties. While they had all lived in the Shiba House, their room and board covered, now they had to figure out what to do with their lives once they left. For Emily and Mike, as well as Kevin and Mia, both couples had gotten engaged, but the very thought of a wedding, never mind a marriage, was on the back-burner. Now they had to figure out where they would live, what they wanted to do...all that before they could even think about the wedding itself.

Jayden was a little quiet as he sat in the yard, watching the branches moving in the breeze. He, like the others, was happy that the war was over, but there was another problem that it created. He had been raised for his part in the war, taught and trained for that battle. Until he and Ji had heard about the attack on Lauren's safe house, he had known he was only a place-holder, but the fact was that his entire life, his whole identity, had been built around being the Red Ranger. Now the war was over, now there was no need for the Samurai, he was asking himself the hardest question of all. What now? Who was he now?

He looked up as Lauren walked into the yard, sitting on the bench next to him. He saw her and smiled, looking to his sister.

"I guess you needed a little time huh?" He asked her. She just nodded in response.

"This is the most people I've ever lived around." She said as she shifted a little on the bench, finding it uncomfortably cold. "Mike and Emily were having some kind of argument which set of parents they'd visit at Christmas and which they'd go to for New Year."

"I suppose it's kind of understandable." Jayden chuckled, thinking about it. "I mean, it is kind of the first time they're meeting the in-laws. Most people at least get to meet their kids' partner as a boyfriend or girlfriend first."

"Kevin and Mia were screaming at each other about something too." She told him. "Then...they started making out. How did you put up with this for two years?"

"It had its challenges." He admitted with a little laugh. "I will admit, it wasn't always THIS insane, but it was usually pretty lively."

"I guess you're going to miss it when we're all gone." Lauren stated. Jayden just nodded.

"Yeah, I guess I..." His words tailed off, and he looked to her, looking a little bemused, and a little hurt. "You...you said 'we'. Are you leaving?"

"I don't want to crowd you." Lauren answered. "I get the feeling you and Antonio would appreciate having your own place, and this house is definitely more your home than mine."

"Lauren, you're my sister." He put down flatly. "You're welcome here as long as you like."

"Yeah, but..."

"No, there are no buts." Jayden stated, putting his arm around her. "I know the family money will more than ensure you can have your own place, but you're welcome here."

"It's just..." She struggled to find the words. "I'm not too great at goodbyes...or hellos sometimes...or talking to people in general. Maybe it would be best if I just...quietly left?"

"OK, that DEFINTIELY isn't happening." Jayden said sternly, looking her straight in the eyes. "You're my sister. I've only just gotten you back. I am not letting you just slink away like that."

"But..."

"I'm serious about this." He told her. "You are staying here." Lauren just smiled, wiping away a tear.

"I guess I have to unpack then." She announced. "Well, it's not like I had much to pack."

"You're staying here." Jayden reiterated. "Brenda and the baby are staying here when they get home, and when he's able to leave hospital, Ji's staying here too until he's back on his feet. That's what family do for each other."

"Family." Lauren said with a huge grin on her face. "That sounds really nice."

"Well, you better get used to it." Jayden warned her, hugging her tightly. As they parted, Lauren looked away, like she was thinking about something.

"What?" He asked. "What is it?"

"It doesn't seem right to be spending the holidays without the others." She told him. "You think of them as family too right?"

"Yeah?" He asked. "What are you getting at?"

"I just thought...maybe there's a way we can stop all these arguments and all get what we want." She told him. She ran back into the house, bowling Jayden backwards off the bench as she went. He just got up, stroking the back of his head, sniggering as he realised that Lauren hadn't noticed she had knocked him off the bench.

"Well, I guess I missed out on having a big sister for long enough." He said as he got to his feet, limping back to the house. "Ow!"

In another part of the house, Emily was sitting in a corner, sulking after an argument with Mike. Her arms crossed defiantly over her chest, she sat, pouting a little.

It had been a long time since she had been at the farm. She had only gone back briefly, perhaps a few minutes at most, when she was sent home to say goodbye to Serena, and she had missed it dreadfully. The thought of being back home with her parents and her sister for Christmas, having the huge dinner in the kitchen, opening the presents in the Living Room...she was looking forward to having all of it. Almost as much, if not more than that, she was looking forward to sharing it with Mike.

She was desperate to have him over for the holidays, to share Christmas with her and her family to allow her parents to get to know him. After all, they had only heard about him from a distance, and she was sure her mother had made a few inferences about him, having met his father, but she wanted them to know him as a person, to get their approval before they went ahead with sorting out a wedding. In many ways, she had to admit understanding Mike feeling the same way.

He wanted her to come and spend Christmas with his family. He wanted her to meet his dad, to be part of the street party they had in his neighbourhood. He had suggested they spend Christmas at one place, and New Years' at another, but that was where the wheels fell off. Both of them wanted the same thing.

She looked up as Serena came over to her with Terry, producing a flyer. Emily just looked at it.

"Community College?" She asked. "Serena, I was looking at..."

"It's not for you silly, it's for me!" Serena told her, swiping her across the head with the flyer.

"Ow!" Emily whined as she took the flyer from her. "For you?"

"Yeah, for me." Serena told her. "I've been giving it a lot of thought. When we went to that career fair, I looked at my options and...well...I've got to admit I wasn't all that impressed."

She then sat with her and smiled.

"I remembered my online courses, and thought maybe there were some ways I could bolster my resume a little." She continued. "I saw some courses I liked the look of, and I figured that I can start up here next year."

"That sounds..." Emily began, but she paused as she looked at the flyer. "Um...this college is in Panorama City."

"What's your point?" Serena asked her.

"You're leaving the farm?" Emily asked in response.

"I wasn't going to stay there forever." Serena chuckled, shoving her sister slightly. "I'll be heading to the city after New Year. I figure I can get a part-time job to handle some of my living expenses."

"You're coming out her before term starts?" Emily quizzed her. "Why would you do that? There are jobs at home."

"Well, the thing is...there are things about this city I kind of like." Serena told her as Terry slipped his hand into hers. Emily saw this and her eyes lit up. Letting out a little squeal of excitement, she leapt into her sister's arms, wrapping her arms and legs around her in a tight hug, almost taking Serena clean off her feet.

"Whoa there, whoa, hold up!"

"I knew it! I knew it!" Emily shrieked. "I swear, I knew it!"

"I guess she figured it out." Terry chuckled. "Look, I'm going back for third year at the beginning of term, and until then I'm just doing gigs and odd jobs." Terry told her. "I have an apartment in the city, so I asked your sister..."

"You better be a perfect gentleman!" Emily warned him, letting go with one arm to point into his face. Serena almost overbalanced with the shift in how Emily's weight was balanced on her. She then reached across, grabbing Terry around the neck, pulling him in and hugging him too. Mia arrived, seeing the somewhat bizarre scene, and rolled her eyes.

"Let me guess, they finally got together." She grumbled. Serena and Terry just looked at each other.

"I guess we weren't that subtle after all." He suggested.

"You forget, your sister could read minds for a while." Serena reminded him. "I'm going to college in the city next term. I'm going to be staying with Terry."

"You are?" Mia asked. "Good luck."

"Why do you say it like that?" Serena asked in response.

"Aaron might not be with them anymore, but the rest of the band is the same." Mia chuckled. "I remember what the Rebel Rockers were like. Within a couple of weeks, you'll feel like you're living with barnyard animals."

"It's just as well I'm a country girl then." Serena answered as she and Terry leaned in to kiss each other. Emily let go, retreating a safe distance, but bouncing excitedly. Mia just covered her eyes and dragged Emily away.

"Aw, but this is the good..."

"Yeah, you're a little sister, you're meant to be excited." Mia reminded her as she dragged Emily away. "Trust me; there are some things a big sister really doesn't need to see."

"Uh...guys?" Antonio said as he came into the room. "Lauren asked us all to meet in the main room."

They all went through, finding Lauren waiting for them. Jayden was sitting in the room, and seemed to be just as confused as them. Lauren looked to them and smiled.

"Now that everyone's here, I just wanted to say something." Lauren began. "I've...loved the last few weeks. Seriously, I haven't known any of you all that long, and I've already felt more like I have a family with all of you than I ever have in my life."

They all looked around each other, feeling a little badly about where this was going. With all of the bickering, minor arguments, planning what they were doing next, all of them had forgotten something. Lauren hadn't had the same time in the house they had. She had been there only a matter of weeks at the tail end of the war. She hadn't had the same experiences, the same laughs...or even the same tears. She had arrived, and almost as soon as she had, it was over and everyone was talking about moving on.

"Lauren..."

"We...we'll keep in touch." Mike assured her. "Look, we have our lives to get back to, but none of us live that far away."

"Yeah, and we all have each others' numbers." Kevin chipped in. "We'll arrange to visit, and..."

"Look, I have no doubt you'll all be back." Lauren stated. "Hopefully, touch on wood, there won't be any of the slashing and stabbing needed, but I know that you couldn't have come through this without forming lasting bonds."

"We're family." Mia agreed. "That's something that'll never go away."

"Now, I suppose there is something of a selfish edge to this idea, but I've noticed there were a few arguments lately about what people are planning to do for the holidays." She continued. "Well, I thought about it, and I really wanted to be with all of you for the holidays."

She started to pace as she continued to explain, stroking her arms nervously.

"I also thought it would be nice to see all of dad's old friends again." She told them. "So, I thought, maybe I'd invite all of you, your families included, to spend the holidays here!"

The room fell silent. None of them knew what to say. No one wanted to hurt Lauren's feelings, they could understand what she was trying to do, trying to get some of the experiences she had missed out on. Jayden got up, coming over to her.

"Um...Lauren?" He asked. "The house might be big, but it isn't THAT big. Brenda and the baby will be back from hospital in a couple of days..."

"Oh, don't be silly Jayden; I wasn't suggesting we have everyone HERE!" Lauren giggled as she shoved him playfully. "I made some calls to Ji's contacts. There's a hotel not far from here that's arranged to out-book the few guests they have. We'll have the whole place to ourselves."

"You...you booked an entire hotel just for us and our families?" Kevin asked her. Lauren just shrugged.

"What's the point in having access to the Shiba family fortune if I don't use it?" She asked them. She then just looked a little sheepish. "Before you answer, I really should tell you, I've kind of already called all your parents. They're packing as we speak."

The Rangers all let out a huge whoop of joy, and started hugging each other. Eventually, Mike answered.

"Well, I guess that settles it." He shot out. "We're spending Christmas here!"

"New Year too." Lauren added. "Just mentioning Ji's name can be very persuasive."

Lauren quickly found herself borne to the ground as a little blur hit her at incredible speed. She looked up at a mass of blonde hair, before laughing as she realised it was Emily, and hugged her back. Jayden stood over her, and smiled.

"Well, I guess now you've officially been initiated." He commented, offering her a hand to get up. "Welcome to the family."


	21. Preparations for Christmas

Across the following couple of days, the Shiba House was just as busy as it had been, but at least things weren't as fraught. Lauren's idea of bringing their families to Panorama City for Christmas and New Year had turned out to be just what the doctor ordered to end a lot of the fights that had flared up. Now, instead of fighting, they were more interested in calling their families to make their final arrangements for the trip. That was, when the couples weren't taking the time to 'make-up' for fighting. The house had gone from a bad-tempered war zone to something of a sickening love-fest.

For most of the Rangers, there really wasn't much to arrange. Mia, Kevin and Mike's families all lived in the city, albeit in different areas. For them, it would be a simple matter of packing a bag for the week, and taking a bus or the subway. It would only take them a few minutes for them to make their way to the city to the hotel. Jayden and Lauren...they were the extent of the Shiba Family. Ji...he was still in the hospital, as were Brenda and the baby, but they were all in the city. They were hopeful that Brenda and the baby would be released from the hospital in a day or two and be able to attend, though Ji was still in his coma. His injuries still made things pretty touch and go, even though everyone was hopeful.

The main issues were with Emily and Serena's family, and Antonio's dad. While the farm was only a few hours outside of the city, they needed to arrange for someone to take care of their livestock while they were away. It was no small task, all things considered. While they would be able to drive there in a few hours, it was mainly finding someone that their dad was happy to entrust his precious animals to, even if it was only for a week.

Antonio was finding his dad to be the main obstacle. He was only now able to invite him to the city without worrying about his safety. However, in the last couple of weeks, he hadn't contacted his dad as often as he'd have liked. By the time he did, he found out that he had gone on a fishing trip to Alaska. It was something he had talked about wanting to do for years; indeed he had hoped it was something he and Antonio could do together.

He had missed his dad like crazy, and he desperately wanted him to come to Panorama City. However, a part of him really didn't want to ask his dad to choose between a trip he had been planning for years and a party where his dad would have to be among a group of people he didn't know from Adam. It wasn't as though asking him to drop everything and fly half-way across the country was a small thing to ask.

He got off the phone with his dad, before looking to Jayden, who was also hanging up the phone. He could tell by his expression that he had been on the phone to the hospital. It wasn't like he had many people he needed to call these days. Antonio put an arm around him.

"Any news?" He asked him. Jayden just shrugged.

"They say Brenda and the baby are doing well." He informed Antonio. "I said that they could stay here while she gets back up to speed, so they're happy for her to come home tomorrow."

"What about Ji?" Antonio asked as he held him closely. Jayden shook his head.

"All they said is he's stable." Jayden answered. "I'm going in to visit later."

"What about Lauren?" Antonio continued. Although she was staying in the Shiba House, Antonio had noticed that Jayden was a little troubled by the fact she was still more than a little distant. He honestly tried to include her with the others as much as possible, but he was finding it slow going. She had thrown herself into making arrangements with the hotel for their celebration. In particular, it bothered him a little that she was that so far, she had only visited Ji in the hospital twice. Brenda and the baby, he could only remember her seeing once, and that was when HE took her into the room. Jayden just looked at him.

"I have a feeling she really doesn't like hospitals much." He commented. "Given the state she came out of the Netherworld in, I can't say that I blame her."

"I think we both know it's a little more than that." Antonio said as he opened a tank, looking inside it. "You can't expect her to just flip a switch and be cool with everything."

"Antonio, she's family..."

"She's your family by blood." Antonio reminded him, closing the lid of the tank, before getting up and heading to their room. Jayden followed him, watching as he checked inside a little crate. A few of them were set up around the room, all of which had small devices attached to them, monitoring different readings. "It's a little bit more complicated for her."

"I know, but...it's Ji..."

"Jayden, she was taken away from here when she was eight years old." Antonio reminded him as he looked to his boyfriend thoughtfully. "She basically hasn't had a family in fifteen years."

"But..."

"You remember you didn't exactly fall in love with the idea of Brenda overnight." Antonio recalled with a little chuckle. "And I do seem to remember kind of a hissy fit when the baby was on the cards."

"I did NOT throw a hissy fit!" Jayden protested. Antonio just gave him an unconvinced glance, before checking inside another crate. Jayden rolled his eyes. "Alright, I suppose I took a while to get used to it."

"And you've always had Ji." Antonio stated. "Can you blame her if it's taking a while to get used to having a family dumped on her lap overnight?"

"Why do you always have to be the smart one?" Jayden asked him. Antonio just shrugged.

"I guess you got the looks." He answered. Jayden just looked to one of the crates.

"So, how are the patients?" He asked, looking to one marked with the kanji for "lion".

"They're doing as well as can be expected." Antonio informed him. "The Bull, Tiger, Shark, Swordfish and Beetle still haven't come out of their Power Disks. It's worrying, but they were put into those disks for a reason. So far it's what's keeping them from trauma."

"Kind of like Ji's coma." Jayden surmised. Antonio nodded in response. Ji's coma was chemically induced; they needed to keep him under to give his body time to recover from his injuries. He was in good health, which stood in his favour, but his age was still a concern. They were doing everything they could to increase his chances.

"The Lightzord's basically completely mechanical." Antonio informed him. "It's complicated, Stephen was a lot better at this stuff than I am, but I'm figuring it out. I should hopefully be able to repurpose a few things into suitable replacements for some of the more advanced components."

"What about the others?" Jayden asked him.

"They're all fighting really hard." Antonio concluded. "They took a pretty heavy hit for us, but they seem to be really determined to get back to their masters."

"The others will be relieved to hear that." Jayden concluded. "Those zords have been with their families for generations. They're like family to them. I know I miss the Lion like crazy."

"Well, from what I've seen, the feeling's mutual." Antonio concluded. "He seems to perk up whenever you're nearby."

"Well, that's kind of why I'm hoping..."

Just then, they heard the front door closing. As he got to the door, Jayden realised that Lauren's coat was missing from the coat hook.

"Damn it!" Jayden grumbled as he got outside, just in time to see Lauren get into a cab. Antonio was quickly by his side. "I swear, I need to put a bell on my sister!"

"Jayden..."

"Antonio, track her Samuraizer." He instructed him.

"Jayden, that's...that's kind of an invasion of privacy." Antonio told him. "It's not like we're in much danger anymore. I can't really justify..."

"She's my sister." Jayden stated firmly. "Now, she might be having a rough time adjusting, but she's not going to get used to the family thing if she keeps running off any time she feels like it. She's going to visit Ji and Brenda if I have to tie her up and drag her there."

"Do you really think that's a very smart way of dealing with things?" Antonio asked him sarcastically. "I really hope you're joking, because in case you forgot, I sincerely doubt Lauren would like the suggestion that you'd bind her. From what Emily told me, she freaked out when she tried to get her to wear a bracelet."

"Antonio, track her Samuraizer." Jayden reiterated. Antonio loved him, and he wanted to help, but he wasn't prepared to overstep the boundaries Lauren had set up. He considered her a friend, perhaps even family one day. Even though he didn't know how she saw him, he wasn't prepared to ruin his chances of gaining her trust.

"I'm sorry Jayden, but I'm not going to do that." Antonio told him. He could see that Jayden wasn't happy with him as he glared at him and stormed into the house without another word. Antonio just took a seat on a bench and held his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry Jayden." He repeated.

In another part of the city, Spike was sitting in his house, with his uncle. Vicky, Melanie, Mal, Jimmy and Cody were with him. All of his stuff was packed up in cases, ready to go. It wasn't long until school broke up for Christmas, but his parents had informed him that they were coming for him a little sooner than expected. It was a time of mixed feelings for him. He had missed his mom and dad dreadfully over the time he was in Panorama City, but now that it was finally coming time for him to go, he was finding himself reluctant to leave.

He had made friends here. He had even fallen for an amazing girl in his time here. He had spent his time ensuring that he spent every moment he could with his friends. Vicky was in his arms as he waited for his parents to come.

"Hey, it looks like I got here in time after all." Serena announced as she arrived. Having taken over as Spike's sensei some time back, she had a connection to him, and she had promised to stop by today. She hugged him tightly. "Sorry I'm late."

"At least you got here." Spike answered, releasing her. "I'm just sorry I'm going to have to get a new sensei. You were awesome!"

"Well, you were a great student too." Serena complimented him, ruffling up his hair.

Just then, the door opened. Spike and Kimberly came into the house, causing all of them to look up at them. Kimberly came across first, hugging Spike.

"It looks like you're all packed." She stated. Spike just shrugged.

"Thanks for taking care of Spike for us Bulk." Skull greeted his friend with a hug. He looked to him. "You know you're welcome to visit any time."

"Maybe I'll stop by for Christmas." Bulk suggested. Skull just smiled.

"I think we can manage that." He told him.

"We'd really love that." Kimberly added.

"So...I'll just help you load up." Serena chipped in. "I think Spike would like a little time with his friends."

Serena, Kimberly, Spike and Bulk all picked up some of his stuff, taking it outside to the waiting mini-van, leaving Spike in the Living Room with his friends. He went across to Mal and Melanie.

"I'm really sorry I won't get to see your play." Spike began, hugging each of them in turn. "I really wish I could have seen it. I know you're going to be great."

"Hey, I'll record it." Mal promised as he held his girlfriend closely.

"We'll e-mail you all the time." Melanie told him. "I'm really going to miss you!"

"I guess we'll miss you too." Cody added, fist-bumping Spike. "It's just a shame you didn't get to stay long enough to be much of a threat in sparring."

"I'm going to take that as a challenge." Spike chuckled. "I'm going to keep practicing...and when I visit, I am SO kicking your butt!"

"Yeah, cause that'll happen." Cody replied, rolling his eyes. Jimmy just shook Spike's hand, before looking to Vicky.

"Um...maybe we should see if we can help load up the van." He suggested. They all left, leaving Vicky alone with Spike. Vicky just looked at him.

"Vicky, I..."

Vicky just threw herself into a hug, squeezing him tightly. It was hard enough to see him go, without drawing it out. She just held him, enjoying the feel of his arms around her.

"I'll write all the time." He promised her. She just nodded in response, before taking him by the hand and heading outside with him. Skull was just loading the last case into the mini-van, when they arrived.

"Alright, that's everything." Kimberly announced, looking to Serena. "Um...I know we didn't exactly get off on the right foot, but I'm really grateful for everything you did."

"Including sending him to the hospital?" Serena asked. Kimberly just laughed.

"OK, well, maybe not everything." She admitted. "Maybe you could come by some time."

"I think I can manage that." Serena told her. Spike got into the mini-van with his parents, looking dejectedly out the window as his dad started up the engine.

His friends all waved as they pulled away, and Spike finally allowed himself to shed some tears. He had been reluctant to come to the city in the first place, but now he knew that he would miss it.

He didn't even notice as his mom and dad just looked at each other. Skull stopped the mini-van. Spike just looked up.

"Um...why have we stopped?" Spike asked his parents. Kimberly pulled out a handset, and pressed a button on it. Spike just looked outside, to where a gate opened. He looked back to his parents.

"Why wouldn't we stop when we get home?" Kimberly asked him. Spike just looked to her and started to feel his heart race.

"You...you...you bought the house next door?" He asked them. Skull just turned to look at his son.

"Well, your uncle and I got talking about how much you love it here." Skull explained as he smiled at him. "So, when I was finishing up with business, and looking at ideas of where to retire, I figured, why not move next door to my best friend?"

"But...the house wasn't even on the market!" Spike shrieked.

"You'd be amazed how convincing you can be when you offer double the market value." Kimberly assured him as they turned up the driveway. Spike didn't even wait for the mini-van to stop, and got out the side door, running down the drive way, to where his friends were already running up to greet him, having figured out his parents' surprise.

Vicky was quickly in his arms, kissing him passionately with tears running down his face. Jimmy just turned away from them as he saw this.

"Um...I'm glad he's staying and everything, but do I really have to see this?" He whined.

"Hey, just give them a moment." Melanie teased him. "We're really glad you're staying."

"Well, how about to celebrate we order in pizza?" Skull asked them. "You're all welcome!"

With some cheers of joy, they all filed inside. Vicky held Spike tightly, overjoyed that he was staying. It might be a couple of weeks shy, but she felt like she had been given her Christmas present early.


	22. Lauren's Christmas Preparations

Lauren arrived at the hotel, heading to the reception desk. The girl behind the desk looked up, seeing her approaching and leaned over to the girl to her left.

"Great, it's her again." She muttered under her breath, before looking up and smiling. "Hello...again. I take it you came to see Mandy?"

"Yes, I just wanted to run a few ideas past her." Lauren told her. "Is she still here?"

"She's in the main function room, overseeing the set-up." She told Lauren.

"I know the way." Lauren chipped in. "Thanks."

As she left, she was just heading to the elevator when a guy with a pony-tail came in, carrying a large, cardboard tray. The receptionists' eyes lit up.

"Oh, thank God, you're a lifesaver Jeremy!" She rushed out, taking the tray from him. "Do you have any idea how few coffee places deliver?"

"Well, technically we don't either, but you order so much, you've kind of earned a few privileges." He told her, looking over to the elevators. "Um...who was that?"

"Oh, just some maniac planning a Christmas party." She grumbled. "But the way she was going on, you'd think she was going on, you'd think she was arranging the Presidential victory party."

"By any chance is her name Lauren?" He asked in response. The receptionist furrowed her brows.

"Yeah, how did you...?" Her words tailed off as she realised Jeremy wasn't listening. "Do you know her?"

"Kind of, she hip-tossed me in the park about a week ago." He told her. The receptionist noticed the look on his face and just shook her head.

"You have some taste in women; I'll give you that Jeremy." She chuckled. "That girl's a serious neurotic, even Mandy's sick of the sight of her, even though she has booked the whole place for the whole Christmas and New Year period."

"Really?" Jeremy asked in response, becoming interested.

"Yeah, she says it's for some family function or something." The receptionist informed him. "Normally we wouldn't mind, but she changes her mind like most people change their underwear."

"Excuse me." Jeremy replied, grabbing a cappuccino from the tray, the one marked as being for Mandy, and headed up the stairs. The receptionist just shook her head in disbelief.

"He is hopeless." She commented.

Meanwhile, in one of the function rooms, Mandy was going through the arrangements for the celebrations ahead. She had been there several times since her promise to the others to hold the Christmas celebrations in the city. SEVERAL times!

She had been coming here every day since she had taken the decision. She had been through pretty much every party magazine, book and television programme she could lay her hands on. She had even used a computer and gone online, something that she had picked up from watching Antonio, and was constantly coming up with new ideas for the party. She came back each day with various new ideas, handfuls of sheets of paper with new directives for how she wanted things to be set out. Sometimes, she even came more than once in a day. To say that she was becoming known around the place was an understatement.

The events' planner had been thrilled at first, she had someone with a seemingly limitless chequebook who had already hired the whole hotel, and was willing to pay through the nose for some of the most outlandish ideas she had ever heard of. The rest of the staff, the ones who were being put to work actually making her ideas a reality...not so much! It felt like they had arranged and re-arranged practically all the furniture in the entire hotel more than once, and changed the Christmas decorations more than once. The chefs in particular had a hard time, since she seemed to change her mind about menus on almost an hourly basis. Now though, even Mandy was starting to lose patience.

She turned around as she heard Lauren's voice calling over. She rolled her eyes, before forcing a smile and turning to greet her.

"Lauren! It's a pleasure as always!" She lied expertly as she faced her. "So, what can I do for you today?"

"Well, I was just thinking...there isn't a tree in here." She began. "I know you normally use this room for full-blown dances and everything, but I don't think there'll be much need for the whole dance floor. Maybe we could put a big tree in front of the stage? That way there's somewhere for the presents to go!"

"Um...I thought you wanted the presents..."

"Well, I was watching a Christmas special on the TV the other day, and the family were all sitting around in their pyjamas, unwrapping their presents under the tree in the morning." Lauren gushed with a huge smile, thinking about her friends and their families doing the same thing. "It looked really nice, and since we're having the meals in here, I thought that would be really nice!"

"OK, so you want a tree." She said, suppressing a sigh as Lauren wandered away, looking around the room, seemingly coming up with new ideas as she did. She just muttered sarcastically under her breath. "Just over a week before Christmas and you want a tree, that should be NO problem."

"Also, my friend Antonio said he and his dad used to go to Midnight Mass." Lauren continued. "Can we have a big TV set up in one of the side-rooms for them to watch one?"

"Of course!" Mandy answered, almost breathing a sigh of relief, having horrible visions of her asking to actually set UP a Midnight Mass, and hire a priest.

"I wonder if any of these people celebrate Hanukah." One of the events waiters complained sarcastically, and rather quietly. Lauren's head snapped around, and for a moment, he wondered if he'd heard her.

"I hadn't thought of that!" Lauren called out, starting to rack her brain. "I...I don't think many of them are particularly religious, but I never really asked..."

Mandy just stamped on the unfortunate waiter's foot behind Lauren's back, irritated that while she obviously hadn't offended Lauren, he had just given her more ideas.

Just then, Jeremy came in, carrying her cappuccino. He approached Mandy, and looked around the room.

"Wow, and I thought my family Christmas was impressive." He remarked, before looking across and feigning surprise. "Hey Lauren, is this...is this your party?"

"Um...well..." Lauren stammered, finding that queasiness she felt whenever she saw him creeping into her stomach again. "It's really a family thing...well...family and friend thing...well...it's kind of a long story."

He had heard from the girls downstairs that Lauren was kind of driving the staff insane, and seeing some of them already re-aligning the decorations and furniture as a result of her lat directions.

"Well, it all looks pretty great." He complimented her. "I know I could never plan anything like this."

"It's a lot of work." Lauren admitted. "I just want everything to be perfect for everyone."

"You know what helps me concentrate?" He asked her. She shook her head. "I find taking a coffee break always helps me straighten out my thoughts. You know...we never did set up a time for that rain-check you took on that coffee I invited you for."

"Um...we didn't?" She asked. He just chuckled.

"You don't remember dumping me on my ass in the park, and then running off before I could arrange another time?" He quizzed her. Lauren thought about it for a moment. Her Samuraizer had sounded, and she had run off before she could give him an answer. She just nodded.

"Well, there's no time like the present." He announced, taking the sheets from her and handing them to Mandy. "Let these nice people get on with things here. I'm heading back to the coffee shop anyway; I'll give you a lift."

Lauren just nodded and went with him, leaving a relieved Brenda and her staff behind.

Over at the hospital, Jayden arrived, heading to Brenda's room. Finding it empty, he went out into the hall, heading for the critical care ward. Sure enough, she was in Ji's room, with the baby in her arms, sitting by Ji's bed.

He came in, taking a seat beside Brenda. He smiled as he reached to the baby, gently stroking her cheek with a finger as she slept.

"How are you both?" Jayden asked her. Brenda just sighed.

"They say I can come home tomorrow." Brenda informed him. She looked to Ji. "They say his vitals are looking good."

"I guess by now you're looking forward to getting home." Jayden surmised. She just nodded her head. "So...have you come up with a name yet?"

"I'm sorry?" She asked him. He just smiled.

"Well, it does seem a little mean to keep calling my sister 'baby'." He answered. She looked to him and smiled.

"I've had some ideas." She admitted. "I really want to wait for Ji though. I mean, she is going to have this name for the rest of her life. He really should get some input. At least then when she grows up and decides she hates it, she'll have both of us to blame."

Jayden just laughed hearing this. It was a pretty unique reason to want the name to be a joint decision. He knew it was probably a joke, and that Brenda was likely just using it as another reason to will Ji back from his coma. His body, for the most part, had come through with minimal harm. They had fixed the damage to his organs, and the blade had missed his spine. They had been warned that there would be some nerve damage, but nothing that would stop Ji having a normal life. The only reason they were keeping him in the coma was to give his wound time to heal a little further before they risked allowing him to move around and risk harm.

"Speaking of your sister..."

"I know what you're going to say." Jayden sighed. "I'm sorry, I've been trying to get her to come and visit, but she keeps disappearing."

"Oh, well...I'm sure she has stuff to do." Benda replied as she adjusted her position slightly. Jayden just looked at her.

"Like what exactly?" He asked her. "She's only been in the city a few weeks! It's not like he exactly has a hugely busy social life beyond us."

"I don't know, but I'm sure whatever it is..."

"We're her family!" Jayden interrupted her. "Ji's still hurt, you and...whatever you end up calling baby are still here. What can be more important than that?"

"Well, not meaning to be too literal about it, but technically only you're her family." Brenda reminded him. "She knew Ji before she left, but your dad was still around then."

"It doesn't matter!" Jayden grumbled. "He's still family..."

"He's family to you in a different way than he's family to her. All of the Rangers are." Brenda continued as she tried to make sense of what she was trying to explain to Jayden. "You've had fifteen years with Ji as your family. You had two years with the others...even I've been in your life for over a year. She just came back for her brother...and even you're not exactly the same kid you were when she left."

"If nothing else, you're friends to her." Jayden blurted out. "Who doesn't want to visit a friend in hospital?"

"I don't know, maybe someone who still doesn't know what these crazy new people in her life mean to her?" Brenda suggested. "Or maybe...maybe she cares more than you give her credit for."

"Then why isn't she here?" Jayden asked him.

"You know...you Shiba really are great at leading battles and swinging swords, but you really don't do the whole thinking things through thing well do you?" She said in an exasperated groan. Jayden just glared at her. "Alright, try thinking about it Jayden. Who does she have in her life?"

"Us!" He told her.

"People, most of whom she only met a few weeks ago." Brenda reminded him. "Who else did she have in her life? Who else did she have that mattered to her?"

"Well, there was dad." Jayden said as he tried to think about it. "Ji and I knew her as a kid."

"Neither of which she's seen for most of her formative years." Brenda continued. "Go on."

"She told us she was never particularly close to any of her attendants." Jayden carried on. "Except for that last family, the ones with that kid Esther. She said..."

Jayden's words tailed off as he finally started to get an image in his head.

"The ones that were killed when she was kidnapped." He whispered as he looked back to Brenda.

"So you're seeing a pattern?" Brenda asked him as she saw the realisation in his expression. "Her dad, you and Ji, her attendants...anyone she's started to get close to, she's ended up losing. Then, she's started to get to know all of you, and care about you, and then just weeks later..."

"We're all thinking about moving on." Jayden interjected as he held his head in his hands. "You think she hasn't come to the hospital because she's afraid of...you know..."

"I'm not saying it's the healthiest of mindsets, but you have to admit, experience isn't really on her side as far as people who care about her are concerned." Brenda explained, adjusting her position again. "Um...would you mind taking your sister for a moment? These chairs aren't exactly comfortable."

Jayden reached across, lifting the baby into his arms as Brenda got into a more comfortable position. Brenda didn't take the baby back immediately, instead taking Ji's hand as she looked to her husband.

"The party...do you think this is...you know...about keeping us all together?" Jayden asked her. "I mean, without the Ranger thing, there's no reason we NEED to stay at the house, the others will be moving on."

"I'm glad to see I don't have to figure out everything for you." Brenda said with a little smile. "To paraphrase a well known saying, Lauren didn't land on the Shiba House, the Shiba House landed on her. Now she's getting used to the screwy family there...she's desperate to keep it together as long as possible."

"So, you're saying I need to be patient and humour her with all this?" Jayden asked. Brenda just smiled.

"It might be an idea." She answered, looking back to Ji. "If all goes well, maybe she'll believe that this family's not going anywhere."

In another part of town, Lauren was sitting at the counter of the coffee shop with a huge hot chocolate, topped with masses of cream, and a fresh pastry. Jeremy had a fair bit to do, rushing around to help the other servers as Christmas shoppers came in for a quick caffeine fix during their shopping trips. However, he still made a point of talking with her when he could.

"That seemed like some party you were planning." He commented. Lauren just nodded.

"I really hope my family's going to like it." She told him. Jeremy just grinned hearing this.

"You started to explain that, but I wasn't too clear." He told her.

"It's a pretty long and complicated story." Lauren assured him. "I just got to know a rather unique group. We all got pretty close."

"So close you consider them family?" He asked her. She just nodded enthusiastically.

"I've been coming up with ideas all the time." Lauren added excitedly. "I really just want everything to be perfect for them. They've all done so much, they deserve the best, they deserve..."

"Well, I understand the obsession, but maybe you should calm it down a little." He suggested. "After all, you don't want to stress out so much over the details that you end up forgetting to enjoy the party yourself."

"I really want to, but I really want them to have the best possible time." She reiterated. "I really want them to have something to remember me by."

"Remember you by?" He asked. "Are they moving away or something?"

"I don't know, but probably." She admitted. She knew that she needed to explain something, Jeremy didn't seem to understand. "The house, it's kind of a school. We were all only there for a while. They'll all be going home soon."

"Well, I guess I'm pretty close to some of the guys in my halls of residence." Jeremy answered, thinking about it. He could see though that this thought in particular seemed to really bother Lauren. He just looked at her. "This...this is really that important to you isn't it?"

"I've just...I've not had anyone I've connected with like this." She told him. "I've just gotten to know my brother again after a long time. The guys are real sweethearts...the girls...they just...I just really don't want them to forget about me."

"You know, I've only met you about four times, and I can already guarantee you one thing." Jeremy said as he leaned over the counter. "No one will ever be able to forget about you."

"Hey Jeremy!" One of the other servers called over.

"Enjoy the cocoa; I think I see someone in need of an espresso." He told her. "It's...it's on me. Consider it a Christmas present."

Feeling her face flushing, and being unable to answer, Lauren just nodded. She picked up her cocoa, and took a long sip, unable to stop smiling.


	23. Family Time

Lauren made her way back into the Shiba House, finding Mike and Emily outside, decorating it. She couldn't help smiling as she saw them; no one could quite fathom how either of them had so much energy. Of all of them, they were always the ones most enthusiastic about the holiday season. From having screaming matches, followed by sulking sessions that had lasted hours each when they couldn't agree on whether they would spend Christmas at Emily's parents' or Mike's, they had turned into a couple of giddy little over-grown kids. Although no one would actually BE at the house on Christmas day, that didn't stop them breaking out the decorations and going to town. The others had all either just accepted it and opted to help them, or decided it was safest to just stay out their way.

Right now, Mike was carefully making his way along the roof, positioning a light-up sleigh, complete with reindeer, while Emily guided him from the ground. It was probably the safest way to do things, considering Emily's legendary clumsiness. Lauren approached Emily.

"No, a little more to the right." Emily told her fiancé as he started to position the last of the reindeer. "No, that way!"

"It is straight Emily." Lauren told her. Emily jumped as Lauren approached from behind, startling her. She caught the Yellow Ranger before she ended up on her butt, helping her remain on her feet.

"Hey, no fair!" Emily grumbled as Mike positioned the reindeer. "I thought the point of having a girl Red was that she would take the girls' side on things."

"Sorry to disappoint." Lauren chuckled, roughing up Emily's hair like she had seen both Mia and Serena do. She didn't really understand why they did it, it only seemed to annoy Emily when she had to fix her hair, but she didn't stay mad at them for long. She presumed it was part of the 'ripping on each other' thing that Mia and Serena had explained to her once. It was something they did to show they cared about each other, even if it seemed a little mean or like they were bullying her. Emily smiled a little as she glared at her.

"Hey, you messed up my hair!" She whined. Lauren just nodded.

"I totally did." She replied. "Is Jayden around anywhere?"

"I think he's still at the hospital." Mike replied as he grabbed the edge of the roof, flipping over and landing on the lawn. "He seemed upset about something."

"Well, Ji is still in a pretty bad way." Emily reminded him. "The only reason we haven't been is because we don't want to crowd him. We were going to go tomorrow."

"Hey, you can come with us!" Mike suggested, slapping Lauren's right arm. She just looked down at the spot where he had hit her. "I'm sure he'd love a visit..."

"I think I might pass." Lauren told them. "I...I think I need to see Jayden. If you see him, can you tell him I'm...tell him I'm seeing dad?"

"OK." Emily replied warmly. "Do you want some company or..."

"No, it's alright." Lauren assured them. "Just...tell him where I am."

As she left, Mike went to Emily's side, putting an arm around her.

"Seeing her dad?" Mike asked.

"Mike, this time of year has to be hard for her." Emily told him sympathetically. "For most of her life, she hasn't had anyone to share it with."

"I guess I never thought about it like that." Mike answered. "Maybe we should..."

"I think right now she needs privacy." Emily told him. "We'll go after her in a little while. I really want to check up on the Zords anyway. Antonio's been working really hard to heal them."

"I guess she's a big girl." Mike answered, taking Emily inside.

In the back yard, Lauren made her way towards one of the trees, the largest one in the yard. Jayden had explained to her once that he and Ji had planted it together a little after the final battle, once Ji was healed enough to do so. They had put it in place as a memorial. Her father had used everything he had with his flawed Sealing Symbol, literally everything. Ji had told her that they didn't find anything left of his body, barely even ash that was worth collecting. What little they could pick out of the earth was buried under the trees roots. His sacrifice, while saving all of them, had not even left them a body to bury.

She stopped, and looked to the tree. It was decked out in outdoor lights, decorated for the season. Lauren approached, but smiled a little as she saw this.

"Well, I do remember that you loved Christmas." She commented as she knelt down next to the tree. "You loved it almost as much as we did. I remember you were always happiest when you were helping Jayden with the decorations, or wrapping presents you knew we'd be giving you only days later."

She took a deep breath as she looked up to the tree.

"I remember Ji was always there too." She told him. "I remember the time the two you took us out to the woods to pick a tree. I saw the way he cut it down, the way he loaded it onto the truck. I remember thinking he was the strongest man in the world. I couldn't believe any one man could move that tree, and being amazed that he could."

A few tears started to form in her eyes.

"The others...they've been great with me." She continued to tell him. "Mike is teaching me to play video games. I'm still not sure I get them, but the times I have played, they are a lot of fun. I didn't know how to take him at first. To be honest, when Jayden left, he was kind of a pain in the ass. He blamed me for him leaving and made sure I knew it."

She took up a little dirt in her hands and smiled.

"Emily and Serena...I've really bonded with them." She continued to tell him. "What Serena has with Emily, that closeness, that relationship...that's what I want with Jayden. They tell each other everything, that's something I really wish I had with Jayden. Emily's just...well...apparently Ava told them both she was like Serena, but I really remember her being more like Emily. I remember that she broke more stuff around the house than the rest of the others combined. Mia's been just...great. I guess I really love hanging around with all of them because I kind of want to know how to be a good sister to Jayden."

She looked to the tree, getting none of the answers she was looking for. She could feel her tears starting to run down her face.

"I know I have no right to it, they've only been in my life a little while, but I really don't want them to go!" She sniffed, wiping her eyes. "I...I don't want to be alone again. I want everything to be perfect for them. Maybe if I make things that way, they won't want to leave me."

Just then, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned a little, seeing a little rag doll, dressed in a hand-made kimono on her shoulder. She smiled as she looked around, seeing Jayden standing behind her.

"You kept it?" She asked him. He shook his head.

"Ji did." Jayden corrected her. "When you were taken away, they didn't have time to pack any of your stuff. Ji told me he held onto it. I was kind of thinking of giving it to you at Christmas, but I thought maybe giving it to you a little early wouldn't hurt."

Lauren took the doll, hugging it to her chest. It had been her favourite toy before she left the house. She looked to Jayden, grateful to him.

"I...I can't believe..."

"I'm sorry." Jayden stated, somewhat confusing her. "I guess this has been pretty confusing for me too. I didn't think too much about what you've been through, and I really should have been more patient. I guess I was just expecting you to just magically drop into this family."

"Jayden..."

"Ji took that hit for you, for both of us." Jayden reminded her. "You've not been with us long, but make no mistake; you're part of this family. You're not going anywhere, and neither are we."

"But..."

"Look, we might not always live in the same house, or even the same city, but you've got to believe that after what we've been through together, all of us...there's no way we're going to lose touch." Jayden assured her. "We're all connected, and that's never going to change."

Lauren hugged him as he pulled her closer.

"I...I know I should have visited him, but I just...I'm scared." She admitted. "Seeing him when they brought him in, the doctors working on him, the way he was hooked up to all those machines..."

"I get it, really I do." Jayden assured her. "Of course, part of being a family is that sometimes we have to see those we love at their lowest. Even if it's the last thing we want to do."

"I guess so." Lauren answered. "I guess I've been using this party as kind of a distraction. I just wanted it all to be perfect."

"Well, whatever happens, it will be." Jayden told her. "Because all the people we care about will be there."

He got up, and helped Lauren to her feet. Clutching her doll to her chest, she walked with her brother back towards the house.

"Um...Jayden, there's something I've kind of thought about recently." She started to say. "You're gay right?"

"Wow, you're observant." Jayden chuckled sarcastically as he walked with his arm around her.

"So...you and Antonio can't have kids right?" She asked him.

"Unless biology's really changed in the last few years, I guess not." Jayden replied with a shrug. "We have kind of thought that maybe if we feel like we want a family we could adopt..."

"Jayden, adopted kids won't be from our bloodline." Lauren interrupted him. "They won't carry our Symbol Power."

"Well, no I guess they won't." Jayden answered. "Antonio pointed out that his Symbol Power's basically artificial, so we could always teach any kids we adopt the Light Style."

"So...we're the last of the Shiba." Lauren commented.

"Well, there is kind of an option left if you think about it." Jayden teased her. She seemed confused for a moment, before the penny dropped and her eyes opened wide. She just looked at her brother.

"You really do suck do you know that?" She muttered. "Why couldn't you be straight?"

"For the same reason you and Emily will never break five foot six. It's just the way it is." He answered. Lauren just hugged the doll tighter.

"So...this is being part of a family?" She asked him. He just smiled and nodded.

"I'm afraid that it isn't all cheesy TV specials and hugs." Jayden assured her. "But believe me; the bad stuff just makes the good stuff even better."

He then looked at his sister.

"So, would you like to go and see our baby sister?" He asked. "Maybe we can pitch a few name ideas to Brenda."

"I...I actually think I'd kind of like that." Lauren answered. Jayden put his arm back around her and led her away.

Back at the hospital, Brenda was once again by Ji's bedside. She didn't want to miss any chance to be near him. She had carefully positioned her daughter so that she was tucked under his arm, but kept a hand on her so she wouldn't roll off the bed.

As she held Ji's hand around their daughter, she suddenly felt a muscle twitching. She looked to the monitors, noticing none of the alarms were sounding. She felt his hand and arm moving a little.

"Ji?" She asked hopefully. A little groan escaped his lips, and she could swear she saw his eyelids twitching. Although his coma was chemically induced, the doctors had said that it wasn't always the case that they needed to bring a patient around the same way. She reached for the button, pressing it to call in a doctor.

Ji continued to stir, and he reached for the oxygen mask with his free hand. Brenda took the baby as the doctors came in.

"He...he's..."

"He's coming around." The doctor assured her, reaching into his pocket for a torch. "Ji, try not to move too much. I'm just going to check you over."

Ji seemed to understand, and waited while the doctor worked. Brenda knew Ji was strong, but it terrified her to think that he was coming around before the doctors had planned to bring him out of his coma. The doctor got up and stepped away.

"Well, I have to say, I...I really don't know what to say." He told her. "He's going to have to take it easy of course, but he seems to be strong enough. We'll monitor him just in case, but I don't think we need to put him under again."

Brenda was overjoyed, and tears started to run down her face as she approached him. Ji pulled off the mask, and smiled.

"Now, there's a sight to wake up to." He said a little weakly. Brenda just reached to his face, stroking it gently. "Where are the others?"

"I haven't called them yet." She told him. "Once again, you did things on your own schedule. We weren't expecting you to wake up yet."

"What day is it?" He asked. "How long...?"

"It's been a while." Brenda told him. "It's about a week before Christmas."

She then shifted a little, adjusting her position to bring their daughter into view.

"Ji...there's someone I'd really like you to meet." She told him. "This is your daughter."

"My...the baby? I missed...?"

"It wasn't exactly planned." Brenda assured him. He reached for the baby, at which Brenda lowered her so Ji could see her more clearly and touch her. He couldn't help smiling.

"She's beautiful." He said with tears in his eyes. "Just like her mother." "

"It's Terry we have to thank." She informed him. "He was the one that delivered her. Even the ambulance crew said they were really impressed with how he did."

"Remind me to give him a really good Christmas present." Ji answered as he continued to look in wonder at his daughter. "What's her name?"

"I...I haven't given her one yet." Brenda told him. "I really wanted us to do that together. I wanted something we could both agree on."

Ji seemed to think about it for a moment, before a smile crossed his face.

"How about Terri?" He asked her. Brenda wiped away some tears and nodded.

"I'd...I'd had that thought too." She told him. "I just wanted you to be part of the decision."

"Then, I think it's settled." He answered stroking his daughter's head. "Terri it is."


	24. So Long Shiba House

Jayden and Lauren arrived at the hospital, making their way through the halls towards the maternity care section. As they made their way, Lauren fidgeted a little with the cuffs of her jacket, looking around.

Being the week before Christmas, the hospital had plenty of business. The unfortunate fact was that accidents and illnesses were more common. Passing a guy lying on a gurney with a piece of gauze held to his head, stained in blood, she drew into herself. She hated hospitals. While this was very different from the medics she had been seen by, following her escape from the Netherworld, she had seen a number of doctors and medics to treat her injuries. Being here brought back a lot of less than pleasant memories.

As they got to Brenda's room, they looked inside, finding it empty. Jayden just shook his head.

"She must be in Ji's room." He told her. "She's meant to be resting."

As they made their way down another hall, Jayden knew exactly where he was going, having been by many times to visit. He noticed Lauren was ill at ease, and put an arm around her shoulders for comfort. As they got to the intensive care room, Jayden brought her into the room, only to find that it too was empty.

It was now Jayden's turn to panic. Heading outside, he found a doctor and stopped him.

"Where's the man that was in this room?" He asked.

"I'm sorry?" He asked.

"I'm his son." Jayden put down slightly more aggressively than he should. He was starting to panic. He wanted to see Ji, and was struggling not to allow horrifying images into his mind as to why his room was empty. "Ji...where is he?"

"Oh, he's just this way." The doctor replied, gesturing down the hall. "We moved him to a recovery room. He regained consciousness about an hour ago."

"He...he's awake?" Jayden asked, the relief obvious in his voice as he caught his breath. The doctor just nodded.

"It was something of a surprise. We weren't planning on bringing him round for a while yet, but I guess he just...decided he'd slept enough." The doctor remarked as he led them towards Ji's room. "Sometimes it just works out that way."

"How is he?" Lauren asked, pulling in closely to her brother. The doctor just smiled.

"He's doing well." He assured her. "He'll still need a lot of care, and a lot of rest, but he's in good health and good spirits. I guess his daughter was just the tonic he needed."

As the doctor got them to the recovery room, they found Ji lying on the bed, with his little girl in his arms. Brenda was sitting on the chair next to him.

"Jayden!" He called out, seeing him. "Lauren, what a pleasant surprise!"

"You're the one with the surprised by the looks of things." Jayden chuckled, coming to his side. "How are you feeling?"

"A little tender, but I can't feel too bad with this little one." He answered, nodding to his daughter. Brenda took her from him, knowing that he wasn't meant to be straining himself too much. Although he wanted to keep her, he needed to recover himself, and he wasn't meant to be testing himself too much. "Have you seen your sister?"

"I have Ji. She's really beautiful." Jayden commented. "Baby's certainly a cute one."

"Oh, we're not calling her baby anymore." Brenda informed him. "We've decided on a name."

"Wow, you've been awake for an hour and you've already named the baby?" Jayden asked.

"It was a very easy decision to make really." Ji told him as he looked between Lauren and Jayden. He gestured to the baby. "I'd like you to meet your sister Terri."

"Terri?" Jayden asked as he gently stroked the baby's head. "After..."

"If it wasn't for Terry, she might not be here now." Brenda interjected. "It just felt right."

"I like it." Jayden answered, gently taking the baby from Brenda's arms, cradling her in his own. Although he wasn't the best with kids, he'd briefly taken care of a child, so he had some idea how to hold a baby. "Hey Terri, how are you?"

Lauren was still rather quiet, not really knowing what to do in this situation. Although everyone kept assuring her she had a place in the family, the whole things still seemed largely alien to her. Jayden approached her, presenting Terri to her.

"Would you..."

"Uh...I don't think so." Lauren answered nervously, holding up her hands. Jayden just smiled.

"She is your sister; you're going to need the practice." He reminded her. He started to hand over the baby, gently guiding Lauren on how to hold the baby properly.

Lauren looked down to the baby, as she settled into her arms without any fuss whatsoever. She adjusted her grip, ensuring that she had a good hold of her, terrified in case she dropped her. She found herself smiling as she looked at the baby.

"She...she...she's..." She whispered, trying to think of what to say. She struggled, unable to find the words to express how she felt. Her heart melted looking down at her sister. It was then that she found herself unable to stop herself from crying, but not out of any form of sadness. In that moment, more than any other, she felt like she finally had the family she had craved ever since she had been taken out of the Shiba House. "Wow...she...she just peed on me."

OK, time for a new blanket I think." Brenda replied, taking the girl from Lauren to get her into a fresh, dry blanket. Lauren felt the warm, smelly liquid soaking into her clothes, but she just couldn't find herself able to care. She just kept smiling.

Back at the Shiba House, everyone was packing their bags. It was a little sad in some ways, while they were all excited for the future, and looking forward to their new lives, they had lived in the Shiba House for over two years. It was, for most of them, the only home they'd ever had away from their parents' homes. They were packing their cases for their trip to the hotel for the party, but after that, they would all be moving on to their new lives. While all of them knew they would return, at least to visit, this was their last day staying in the Shiba House.

Emily taped up the last box of her possessions. Although all of them had only brought essentials, and maybe one or two personal items to make their stay more comfortable, it amazed all of them how much they had accumulated in two years. Emily alone had three suitcases almost the same size as her filled with clothes, and about four cardboard boxes of assorted nick nacks and personal items she had picked up across her time at the house. Mike was sitting on his bed, watching her. His cases and boxes were already packed, largely because he took somewhat less care with his possessions. Like most guys, his idea of packing a suitcase was ramming as much stuff into it as possible, and jumping on it until it would close.

"It's...it's nearly time huh?" He asked. Emily just nodded.

"It...it feels really empty now doesn't it?" She asked, looking around the room. They had carefully gone around making sure they didn't forget anything, and so it had been picked clean apart from the furniture that was meant to be there. It felt...it felt really odd, almost wrong to see the room looking so empty, so devoid of personal touches. It looked exactly like it had on the day they moved in. Mike came over, putting his arm around her.

"Yeah, it does." He answered. "I remember when I first came here; I couldn't believe that this room was mine. I was so used to having my TV, and all my games consoles set up..."

"Your clothes all over the floor!" Emily giggled. He tickled her in response for pointing out his lack of domestic skills.

"This is the only place I ever lived other than dad's place." Mike told her. "I remember when I first came here really freaking out. You know...being in a strange place and all that kind of thing. I think I only slept about an hour all night."

"I felt really homesick too." Emily recalled with a sigh. "Mia was great with me. She saw that I couldn't sleep, and she just sat up and talked with me. Eventually I fell asleep, and she just lay with me on the bed. It was just like Serena used to do when I was a little girl. I know I'm going to see her a lot, but I'm still going to miss not seeing Mia every day. I'm really going to miss everyone."

"Not everyone." Mike reminded her, wrapping his arms tightly around her and kissing her neck. "So...have your parents...?"

"They told me their offer on the old McAllister farm was accepted. We'll move in after New Year." Emily told him. "It's pretty much half-way between their place and the city. It's a bit of a fixer-upper, but..."

"Hey, one thing I am not afraid of is a little hard work." Mike assured her. "I can't believe I'm actually going to live on a farm. Reece and Matthew will never believe I'd live so far from an arcade."

"Well, we know we'll have plenty to keep us busy." Emily told him, pulling out an envelope. "Which reminds me, this is a bit early but...here."

Mike took the envelope, checking the post-mark. He saw that it was marked as being from city hall. He looked to her and smiled.

"Really?" He asked. "Really? It's here?"

"Well, I can't think why else city hall would be writing to us, but there's only one way to find out." Emily told him. Mike tore open the envelope with the enthusiasm of a five-year-old with a Christmas present. He looked to the official-looking document and let out a whoop of excitement.

"Our wedding licence!" He yelled.

"Now all we need to do is plan when and where we want to have the ceremony." Emily chipped in. Mike noticed a little look on her face and was a little curious.

"What?" He asked.

"I'm just thinking how much has changed." She answered. "I came here to fight Nighlock. I can't believe I'm leaving, thinking about getting married and moving into my own home."

"Do you think I don't have to keep reminding myself this isn't a dream?" Mike asked her. "I thought I'd be going home straight back to my old life. This is so much better though."

"It really has been amazing." She answered. Just then, Kevin came into the room.

"Guys, are you ready?" He asked. "We're meant to leave the boxes and stuff in the dojo for Ji's friends to pick up."

"Yeah, we're ready." Mike answered.

"You did remember..."

"To use a marker to mark our Ranger colour clearly on every box and case so they know where to send it!" Emily and Mike chorused in a sing-song manner, repeating what Kevin had told them seemingly a thousand times now. Kevin just laughed and shook his head.

"OK, I'm definitely going to miss the Emily and Mike show." Kevin chuckled. "You were a pain in the ass at times, but you were always entertaining."

"Hey, we're not going to be too far away." Mike reminded him. "And don't forget to let us know when you're trying out for 2016. We'll be there for the qualifiers for sure!"

"It's going to be hard, but I'm looking forward to giving it a shot." Kevin answered. "Dad's already fixed me up with a coaching job to get some income while I train."

"So, is Mia going back to the kindergarten?" Emily asked. "She always told me how much she missed it."

"Yeah, she's really looking forward to it." Kevin told her as he started to help Mike and Emily lift the boxes and cases they weren't taking to the hotel into the dojo for collection. Mia was there, marking up the last of her boxes, while Serena and Terry helped sort the boxes and cases into different piles to make it easier to determine what belonged to who for the delivery guys. "My dad told me the apartment will be ready for us after New Year."

"Wow, that...that's a lot of stuff." Antonio commented as he came into the room. "I am so glad I don't need to pack."

"Yeah, it's pretty amazing how much crap you acquire." Terry commented, gesturing to his own pile. "I mean, I've only been here a few months, and look at what I'm taking with me!"

"So, what are your plans?" Emily asked him. "I guess you're going to finally get round to replacing the cart."

"Cart? Are you kidding?" Antonio asked her. "Not a chance!"

"But...you loved your business!" Serena shot out. "You were so pissed when that Nighlock destroyed the cart!"

"So what? He's practically married to a Shiba." Terry reminded her. "Maybe he's just getting used to the idea of being a kept man."

"Nope, not doing that either." Antonio told them. "I'm going to hit the estate agents after New Year and start looking for property to open the world's first Antonio's Fish Fiesta."

"You're planning on opening a restaurant?" Mia asked him.

"Antonio's Fish Fiesta?" Kevin asked sceptically. Antonio just rolled his eyes.

"OK, the name could use some work, but since I'm going to be rebuilding the business anyway, I figured...why not?" He answered. "Jayden's already agreed to back the project, and I've got a few friends who'll be only too happy to give me pointers."

"Well, be sure to book us a table on opening night." Mike answered, fist-bumping the Gold Ranger.

"Count on it dude." He responded. Just then, they heard the doorbell. Emily just picked up the case she was taking to the hotel.

"It sounds like that's our ride." She told them. "Come on Mike, I can't wait for you to meet mom and dad!"

As they got outside, there was a mini-bus waiting for them. Antonio opened the luggage compartment, loading up their cases. The others got into the bus, taking their seats. Eventually, Antonio joined them, taking his seat at the front of the bus.

"Alright guys, you know what time it is!" He called out. "Driver, hit it!"

As the bus started to move off, all of them couldn't help clambering over to stare out of the window, taking a long, last look at the Shiba House. As it disappeared into the distance, a couple of tears were shed. It had been so much more to them than just a place to stay; it was a home, one that they would never forget.

Fin.

**A/N: **That's the end of this story...but don't worry, I'm not done with the Samurai gang yet! Stay tuned for the Christmas Special, and in the New Year...a special little bunny I have for one of them in particular. Thanks for the reviews and support, and I hope you all enjoyed it.


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